Lapid Says Ready to Form Government With Support From Arab Parties After Israel Election

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he is ready to form a government with external support from the Joint List, following the upcoming election on March 23.

In an interview with Israeli Channel 12 News, Lapid said he led the discussions between Kahol Lavan and the Joint List, an alliance of predominantly Arab parties, after the previous election in September 2020.

"During the third election campaign, I publicly said that we need to form a government with external support from the Joint List, it's a shame if we don't," he said.

The controversy surrounding a potential government with outside support from the Joint List led to the collapse of Kahol Lavan, and prevented a government led by Benny Gantz.

• Gantz says he would back former ally Lapid's bid to lead anti-Netanyahu bloc
• The Joint List is more disjointed than ever, and the timing couldn’t be worse
• Internal rift over potential collaboration with Netanyahu threatens to sink Arab party

Lapid and Moshe Ya'alon supported this one-off exception in a vote on establishing government. "They would vote once from the outside, and then it would be over," Lapid wrote at the time on his Facebook account.

Gantz disagreed with the proposal, as did then-Kahol Lavan members Zvi Hauser and Yoaz Hendel, who since deserted to join Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope party.

Before the elections in March 2020, Gantz said the Joint List cannot be a part of his government, since he has deep-set disagreements with the party. Despite this, after the elections, the Joint List recommended to President Reuven Rivlin that Gantz form a coalition.