Israeli Arab leader says party ready to back anti-Netanyahu government but not in coalition

The leader of key Arab-led party Joint List said on Wednesday that he was willing to cooperate with an opposition-led government to unseat Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but was not open to joining such a coalition outright. "We do not see the possibility of being part of an Israeli government coalition under the current political circumstances, particularly given the ongoing war in Gaza, the settlements in the West Bank" and other issues, Yousef Jabareen told AFP. "However, with the aim of bringing down this government, it would be possible for us to support an alternative government from outside the coalition." Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a coalition with Arab parties to form a government would be “a shame and a disgrace", calling it "forbidden". The two Arab-led parties, Joint List and Ra'am, have gained a record total of 19 seats during the election, while Netanyahu's Likud party fell short of a parliamentary majority in the latest projections.