An Israeli lawmaker has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main political rivals of undermining their chances of removing him from power by refusing to cooperate with Palestinian parties and failing to offer a meaningful alternative to his policies.
Speaking to The New Arab, Joint List lawmaker Ofer Cassif said the divisions between Netanyahu and his principal challengers were largely personal rather than ideological, particularly when it came to Palestinian rights.
"Those who were supposed to be the alternative to Netanyahu throughout the years never really challenged his way, but challenged him as a person," Cassif said.
His comments come after former premier Naftali Bennett sparked controversy by suggesting Netanyahu himself could serve in a future government before backtracking, despite previously ruling out cooperation with Palestinian parties.
Cassif said Bennett's initial remarks reflected the ideological similarities between the two politicians.
"The common or the resemblances between them, and in our case, especially Bennett and Netanyahu, are much greater than the differences, especially vis-a-vis the Palestinians," he said.
"They all reject the idea of a Palestinian independent state."
Bennett had suggested that Netanyahu could potentially serve as a minister in a future government if he accepted its central policies, including establishing a state commission of inquiry into the 7 October 2023 attacks.
"If he accepts our policy guidelines - including a state commission of inquiry - he's welcome to give me a call," Bennett said at a political conference, according to Israeli media reports.
His remarks drew criticism from opposition figures, including Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan and Avigdor Lieberman, prompting Bennett to insist that he had not been serious.
"We will not sit with him in any formation," Bennett said in his clarification, as reported by Israeli media.
Cassif, however, questioned the sincerity of the clarification.
"For me, the truth, the genuine statement was yesterday and not the so-called clarification afterwards," he told The New Arab.
"I wouldn't trust Bennett, but at the same time, I wouldn't trust anyone else, Lieberman or even to some extent, Eisenkot."
Cassif suggested Bennett had backtracked after recognising that his remarks could alienate voters seeking Netanyahu's removal.
Palestinian parties sidelined
The controversy comes as Israel's Palestinian-led Joint List seeks to use its potential parliamentary influence to negotiate support for a future government opposed to Netanyahu.
Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen has outlined conditions for providing a parliamentary "safety net" to an alternative government without formally joining its coalition, according to Israel's Channel 12.
The demands include a funded programme to combat organised crime in Palestinian communities, an end to home demolitions, improved housing, education and employment opportunities, and recognition of unrecognised Bedouin villages in the Negev.
The alliance is also seeking a credible diplomatic process involving the Palestinian leadership, although its proposed conditions do not explicitly require immediate recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Jabareen stressed that any parliamentary support would be conditional and subject to negotiations.
The announcement follows growing uncertainty over whether Netanyahu's opponents can secure a parliamentary majority without Palestinian parties, which several leading opposition politicians have ruled out cooperating with.
Bennett has previously rejected forming a government dependent on Arab parties, while Lieberman has similarly opposed their participation in a governing coalition.
Cassif noted that such positions were undermining the opposition's prospects of replacing Netanyahu, particularly if Palestinian lawmakers held the balance of power following the elections.
He said Bennett's refusal to cooperate with Palestinian parties reflected more than electoral calculations.
"It's also a way of thinking and his own real beliefs to oppose cooperation with Palestinians, to oppose the Palestinian state," Cassif said.
Asked about the broader exclusion of Palestinian citizens of Israel from political power, Cassif pointed to previous attempts to disqualify Arab parties and their representatives from participating in elections.
"First of all, as you know, they tried already to ban us," he said.
In September, Israel's Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify the Joint List and Ra'am, as well as several Palestinian candidates, including Cassif, before the Supreme Court overturned the bans.
Cassif argued that Netanyahu's opponents were strengthening his position by failing to challenge the broader political programme underpinning his government.
"The real alternative must be to the way of Netanyahu and not Netanyahu as a person," he said.
