Uproar in Israeli parliament over Arab-Israeli lawmakers

Israel's new parliament prepared to be sworn in on November 10 with a mission to take aim immediately at caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as rival Gadi Eisenkot vowed quickly to cobble together a new government. [AFP]

Tensions ran high at the first session of Israel's parliament Tuesday as old and new party leaders traded barbs over the possibility of forming a government with the support of Arab lists.

Two Arab parties, the Joint List and Raam, won an unprecedented 19 seats out of the parliament's 120 in the October 27 election, putting them in a position of kingmakers.

But in both camps, some view a government that relies on their support with deep suspicion.

During the swearing-in of the new parliament Tuesday, far-right Israeli leader Itamar Ben Gvir heckled a prominent leader of the Arab-Israeli community.

"Who is he pledging allegiance to, Hamas?" Ben Gvir shouted at Yousef Jabareen, leader of the largest Arab-majority Joint List.

"Anyone who is not loyal shall not be in the Israeli Knesset!" (parliament) he wrote on X shortly after.

An AFP journalist saw that a number of lawmakers from the Joint List left the hall during the Israeli anthem, apparently to avoid standing up for it.

The act of protest caused a stir in the chamber.

Netanyahu himself, in a speech during the ceremony, lamented that the two main Arab parties refuse to recognise Israel as a Jewish state -- even though Raam leader Mansour Abbas has done so in the past -- and claimed they sought to establish an "Islamic state" or a "nationalist Palestinian state... on the ruins of the Jewish state".

The inauguration comes at a time of political uncertainty, with neither of the two main blocs having secured a majority.

President Isaac Herzog tasked Eisenkot with forming a new government on Sunday, following consultations with party leaders last week during which a majority recommended him.

Should he not succeed within 28 days, he can request a 14-day extension, after which the task will be conferred on another lawmaker, presumably Netanyahu.

Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing Democrats party, walked out during Netanyahu's statement.

"Netanyahu is struggling to accept that the Israeli public fired him. Now he is lying and inciting against the Arab public in an attempt to cling to power by force," he later wrote on X.

But others in the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot have cautioned against forming a coalition with Arab parties.

Avigdor Liberman, leader of the right-wing party Israel Beiteinu, criticised their walk-out.

"Do you want to form a coalition with them?" he wrote on X.