Arab bloc in Israeli Knesset seeks no-confidence vote in Netanyahu’s government

By Said Amouri

JERUSALEM (AA) – An Arab bloc in the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) said Sunday it will seek a no-confidence vote in the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a statement, the Arab Movement for Renewal, known as Ta’al, said it will submit a proposal on Monday for a no-confidence vote in Netanyahu’s government.

According to the statement, the proposal will call for ending the Gaza war, reaching a hostage swap deal, and launching a political path for peacemaking.

“Netanyahu’s government prevents reaching any agreement to return the hostages and detainees as part of a prisoner exchange process, because the continuation of the war contributes to its survival,” the proposal says.

“There is no alternative to ending the war to initiate a new political path leading to a fair peace agreement,” it says.

It requires 61 votes in the 120-seat Knesset for the no-confidence vote to pass.

Netanyahu’s coalition has a majority of 64 seats in the Knesset.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

Despite a provisional ruling Friday by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that ordered Tel Aviv to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, Israel continued its onslaught against the coastal enclave where at least 26,422 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 65,087 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala