Arab Knesset member pulls party from Arab Joint List

JERUSALEM (AA) – An Arab member of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) has announced that his party, the Arab Movement for Renewal, would split from the Arab Joint List, an umbrella of pro-Arab parties, local media reported on Wednesday.

Ahmad Tibi has reportedly sent a letter to the Knesset’s House Committee in which he officially requested that the panel remove his party from the joint list.

Established in 2015, the list also includes the Hadash, Balad, and United Arab List parties.

With 13 seats in the 120-member Knesset, the Arab Joint List currently represents the third largest bloc in the assembly.

Tibi, meanwhile, has yet to comment on his decision to withdraw his party from the coalition.

Last month, the Knesset called for early elections amid a dispute between the ruling coalition government’s partners over a compulsory military service bill.