Shira Shapira, a newly elected member of Knesset from Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party, has privately signaled that she will not support the formation of a government that relies on the Arab parties, Channel 14 reported. Her stance adds to the challenges facing Eisenkot as he and Avigdor Liberman press on with efforts to assemble a coalition.
According to the report, conversations between political figures and Shapira over the past day revealed growing discontent on her part, along with concern over her party's next steps. People who spoke with her said she made clear in closed-door talks that she does not intend to back a government that leans on the Arab factions.
Those sources said Shapira fears that events are already outpacing public declarations. In her view, cooperation with the Arab parties is no longer a hypothetical future option but a process that is already under way and is likely to deepen.
Her concern centers on the dynamics surrounding the formation of the Knesset committees. Shapira is watching with unease as the left-wing bloc draws closer to representatives of the Arab factions, including some that do not define Hamas as a terrorist organization, and she regards this rapprochement as far more than a procedural arrangement, the sources said.
Shapira also addressed whether Knesset votes can be kept separate from the question of forming a government. The opposition chose Matan Kahana as Knesset speaker with the support of votes from the Arab parties, and changes were also agreed in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
According to those who spoke with her, Shapira believes that distinction does not hold up. She holds that repeated joint votes, particularly around a key security committee, set a precedent that could shape what comes next and make it harder to draw a clear line later on.
It remains unclear how Shapira will act. The sources expect that the coming days, as the committees continue their work and coalition talks develop, will be the first test of the position she expressed in private.
