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Netanyahu sought private talks with Palestinian party leader despite public attacks
United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas says Benjamin Netanyahu held private talks with him through an associate, even as the prime minister publicly accused Palestinian parties of seeking to undermine Israel. Abbas said Netanyahu wanted to know whether his party would support a law barring an indicted lawmaker from becoming prime minister and whether it planned to join a coalition to replace his government.
The United Arab List and Joint List won 19 seats combined, giving them significant influence after increased turnout among Palestinian voters in Israel. Abbas rejected claims that his party supports terrorism or seeks an Islamist or Arab state, saying it supports peace and a two-state solution; he also said Netanyahu’s speech had put his family at risk and that threats had been made. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot condemned the speech, and his party cancelled planned coalition talks with Likud.
In short
- Abbas says Netanyahu privately sounded him out about coalition plans.
- Netanyahu publicly accused Palestinian parties of threatening Israel’s existence.
- The United Arab List rejects the claims and backs a two-state solution.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of Netanyahu’s private outreach could argue that, despite public criticism, he was testing parliamentary options on consequential questions and engaging a party whose seats gave it a legitimate role in coalition arithmetic. Private contact can be a pragmatic way to assess support and keep political channels open, even when parties sharply disagree in public.
The case against
Critics could argue that seeking Abbas’s support privately while publicly portraying Palestinian parties as a threat was contradictory and risked treating Arab citizens’ political participation as suspect. They could also say that such rhetoric can deepen mistrust and expose Abbas and his family to intimidation, making the private approach look politically expedient rather than respectful engagement.
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