While the world is focused on the results of the US elections and President Donald Trump’s refusal to recognize his defeat, Israel has been focused on a change in the relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and part of the Joint List. This changed relationship reached its apex when Netanyahu chose to participate in a Nov. 10 meeting of the Knesset Committee on Combating Violence in Arab Society. The committee is headed by Knesset member Mansour Abbas of the Raam faction — one of the four factions composing the Joint List, a unified slate of predominantly Arab parties.

Netanyahu’s participation at the debate was surprising. This same Netanyahu has never stopped his verbal incitement against Arab citizens and Arab legislators and making them into a threat to right-wing rule. There are plenty of examples of that. On election day in 2015, he declared that “the right-wing government is in danger. Arab voters are heading to the polling stations in droves." In 2019, he sent a chatbot message to his followers on Facebook, warning them against a coalition that would rely on the support of Arab politicians “who want to destroy us all — women, children and men.” After the last March elections, Netanyahu rejected Arab representation in the Knesset by saying “Arabs are not part of the equation."

Now a romance has blossomed between him and the chairman of Raam, Abbas, who stated, “If I receive budgets and legislation, I don’t mind giving Netanyahu whatever is needed.” Who would have believed it?

If this wasn’t enough, on Nov. 11 Abbas announced on Channel Kan 11 that Joint List Chair Ayman Odeh should not be the one heading the party. “I need to lead the Joint List with the approach I’m trying to advance,” said Abbas.