Arab MK says Israeli government is weak but will not collapse

An Arab member of the Israeli Knesset, Ahmed Al-Tibi, has said the Israeli government is taking its last breath, but it has not fallen.

In an interview with Israeli KAN Radio aired Thursday, Tibi of the Joint List said the List will not join the government coalition and will not sign agreements with it, but it will vote against the motion of no-confidence presented by opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

Al-Tibi denied that the head of the Joint List, Ayman Odeh, had coordinated with him or other members of the List when he issued his statements calling on Arab citizens serving in the security forces to lay down their arms and leave the service.

Al-Tibi explained that the Joint List opposes serving in the Israeli army, however, it distinguishes between those who volunteer for service and those who are obligated to it.

On the other hand, another Joint List Knesset member, Sami Abu Shehadeh, said the List votes in favour of the interests of its electorate, describing the current government as horrible to the Arab citizens of Israel.

Abu Shehadeh added that the Joint List has its own agenda and that it is ready to cooperate on certain and objective issues with any government.

READ: Israel: Arab MK receives death threats over Jerusalem remarks