Rebel Meretz MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi says she quit the coalition after reaching the “point of no return.”
“The scenes in recent weeks [of violence] at Al-Aqsa and at the funeral of Shireen Abu Akleh, for me, were the straw that broke the camel’s back,” she says.
In an interview with Channel 12 news, Rinawie Zoabi suggests could back the dissolution of Knesset but is non-committal on whether she will in fact do so.
“I’ll vote in accordance with my conscience,” she says.
However, Rinawie Zoabi also appears to keep the door open to some sort of cooperation with the coalition.
“I won’t automatically blow up the coalition,” she says.
If Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked and Defense Minister Benny Gantz change their behavior, she adds, “I might support the coalition from the outside.”
“The Arab public is fed up with the behavior of this government,” she says.
Rinawie Zoabi also says the intentions of the coalition’s Islamist Ra’am party and its leader Mansour Abbas are good, and “they want to do good for Arab society.”
“But Jewish politicians [in the coalition] are not ready to see us [Arab legislators] as equals,” she charges.
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel - and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Yes, I'll give
Yes, I'll give
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this