Diplomat labels coalition refusal reckless

Arab-led parties secured a strong showing in Israel's recent election, leaving the opposition with a difficult choice on government formation. Alon Pinkas, a former diplomat who advised Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Shimon Peres, told Morning Edition that the reluctance to partner with these groups is myopic and reckless. He noted that political observers doubt a full partnership will materialize because several opposition leaders are unwilling to work with parties that draw support from Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Pinkas outlined two paths for opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to build a government. The first option is forming a coalition that includes the Arab-led parties. The second is establishing a minority government that receives outside support from those parties, allowing them to back major legislation and confidence votes without joining the cabinet formally. This structure would give the opposition a working majority while keeping the coalition smaller.

Both Eisenkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have publicly rejected working with these parties. Netanyahu described the prospect of relying on their support as a shame and a disgrace. Pinkas challenged the argument that such an alliance would undermine Israel's identity as a Jewish state. He pointed out that ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties describe themselves as non-Zionist, yet they are often included in governing coalitions. He asked why the same logic does not apply to the Arab-led groups.

The analyst attributed the surge in support for Arab-led parties to rising crime and murder rates in Arab communities. He cited violence involving organized crime groups as a primary driver. Pinkas said the current government willfully ignored the plight of these communities by failing to deploy police or investigate the killings. His assessment of the current leadership's chances is blunt. Mr. Netanyahu cannot form a government, he said, repeating that he cannot.

The next step in the process involves negotiations between party leaders to see if a viable coalition can be assembled. Eisenkot and Netanyahu must decide whether to accept the new political reality or risk further fragmentation in the Knesset.