Former Likud minister Meir Sheetrit said that forming a government with an Arab party is a "legitimate and serious" option, setting off a sharp exchange with interviewer Sharon Gal over Arab MKs' support for terror.
"I think it's absolutely a legitimate and serious option, that you can form a government with an Arab list as well. Why not? You can't neutralize twenty percent of the population in Israel and say you don't belong to anything," Sheetrit said in the interview.
Gal asked: "Even if their representatives support terror?" Sheetrit replied: "There are some who support terror, most do not." Asked if those who do support terror are acceptable to him, he said no.
Gal pressed him on how he could propose forming a government with them. Sheetrit answered by invoking Israel's Arab citizens and the country's security: "There are twenty percent, twenty-something percent of Israel's citizens who are Arabs. Do you think Eisenkot would abandon Israel's security?"
Gal then raised the claim that Joint List chairman Ofer Cassif had dedicated the election victory to Gaza. Sheetrit replied: "Forget it, I don't relate to all kinds of statements by people."
