Meretz MK Zoabi Will Return to Supporting Coalition

Rebel Meretz MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi is expected to shortly announce her decision to once again vote with the coalition, days after she declared that she was leaving the government.

Her purported decision comes immediately following a meeting in Yerushalayim with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid — together with a group of other ministers and mayors — where they discussed her terms for returning to the government.

She will again vote together with the coalition, which will stand at 60 MKs, according to Channel 12 news.

The heads of the local Arab authorities expressed their support for the continued existence of the government and conveyed this message to Regional Cooperation Minister Esawi Frej and MK Rinawie Zoabi, Frej said in a statement after the meeting.

“The meeting was in a good faith, when it is clear that maintaining the integrity of the government and the coalition is in the top interest of the Israeli public in general and the Arab public in particular. We will do everything to turn the crisis into an opportunity to strengthen government commitment to Arab society,” Frej said.

Minister in the Finance Ministry Hamed Amar participated in the meeting.

“The meeting had a good atmosphere and it was clear that maintaining the government and coalition is a key interest of the Israeli public, in general, the Arab society in particular,” Frej, who participated in the meeting, said afterward. “We will do anything possible to use this crisis to strengthen the government’s commitment to the Arab sector ahead of the passage of the next budget.”