With about 77 percent of the votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 54 out of 120 seats.

On Wednesday, Senior Arab lawmaker Ahmad Tibi confirmed that the Joint List, an alliance of Arab-led parties, is in talks with the bloc opposing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the formation of an alternative government following Tuesday’s parliamentary election.

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Israel Election 2026: Eisenkot Bloc Leads Netanyahu, No 61-Seat Majority

Tibi, chairman of the Ta’al party, said the Joint List was ready to help the so-called “change bloc” replace Netanyahu, although it was unlikely to formally join a governing coalition. The Joint List is a political alliance of Arab-majority parties in Israel, comprising Ta’al, Balad, and Hadash.

“We have blocked the possibility of Netanyahu forming a government,” Tibi said, referring to the election results. “Our public wants us to go further and influence the shape of the political system after the elections.”

Tibi said the alliance was open to discussing parliamentary arrangements, including how and when its lawmakers would vote, in exchange for progress on issues affecting Israel’s Arab minority, including crime, house demolitions, infrastructure and incitement. “We will probably not be an organic part of this government,” he said, adding that other arrangements were possible.

Yair Golan, leader of the center-left Democrats party, which is part of the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot, urged his allies to abandon their refusal to cooperate with Arab parties. “We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes,” he said.

Israeli settlers deliberately sabotaging voting at polling stations in Palestinian towns
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Knesset member and Ta’al party leader Ahmad Tibi accused Israeli settlers of intentionally delaying the voting process across Palestinian towns during parliamentary elections.

In a… pic.twitter.com/3K0vWHg6yY

— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) October 27, 2026

Yousef Jabareen, chairman of the Joint List, also expressed willingness to help Eisenkot replace Netanyahu. “Anyone who wants to offer a real alternative to Netanyahu’s bloodstained government will have to talk to us. We are ready to pave the way for Netanyahu’s removal,” he stated.

These remarks came as vote counting continued after an election that appeared to leave neither Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc nor the rival bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot with the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.

With about 77 percent of the votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 54 seats in the 120-seat parliament, compared with 49 for Eisenkot’s bloc, according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee, which oversees the election. The Joint List and the Muslim Ra’am party were projected to win a combined 17 seats, with 11 going to the Joint List.

The Joint List could play a decisive role in efforts to form a government, potentially by providing parliamentary support from outside the coalition. However, both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have previously ruled out forming a government with Arab parties, complicating efforts to assemble a majority.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: Xinhua

Luisa González’s lawyers allege arbitrary detention and procedural violations after her arrest on Oct. 22 in a case linked to campaign finances.

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Ecuadorian opposition leader Luisa González’s arrest has prompted her lawyers to accuse President Daniel Noboa’s government of selective prosecution, citing alleged procedural violations and inconsistencies in the financial evidence underpinning the case.

RELATED: Ecuador Transfers Luisa González to Riobamba Prison

González, a former presidential candidate and leading figure in the Revolución Ciudadana movement, was arrested on Oct. 22. Her lawyer, Diego Guarderas, disputes the allegations linked to campaign finances and argues that authorities have treated similar cases involving the ruling party differently.

In an interview with CNN, Guarderas questioned figures attributed to Ecuador’s Financial and Economic Analysis Unit (UAFE), which he said changed at different stages of the investigation. According to the defense, the amounts cited ranged from $6,000 to $500,000 and $700,000, while the technical report recorded $204,000.

Bajo una fuerte granizada, la militancia de Revolución Ciudadana se mantiene en los exteriores de la Unidad de Flagrancia tras la retención de la líder política Luisa González.#Ecuador #Noboa #Alerta #Luisa #teleSUR pic.twitter.com/v4MHVWnSzN

— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) October 22, 2026

Text Reads: Under a heavy hailstorm, the militants of Revolución Ciudadana remain outside the Flagrancy Unit following the detention of political leader Luisa González.

The legal team argues that discrepancies in campaign accounting have been treated as evidence of money laundering without sufficient technical justification. Guarderas maintains that the shifting figures undermine the legal basis of the accusations against González.

He also pointed to what he described as unequal treatment of campaign-finance irregularities. Ecuador’s National Electoral Council identified inconsistencies exceeding $408,000 in the campaign of Acción Democrática Nacional (ADN), Noboa’s party. According to the defense, prosecutors have not opened an investigation into those findings.

Lawyers challenge arrest and transfer

González’s lawyers have also challenged the procedures leading to her arrest. They say she was informed of the charges only 30 minutes before the hearing at which they were formally presented.

The defense further disputes the jurisdiction of the judges who presided over the hearing, arguing that they failed to account for the provincial jurisdictional privilege of other defendants in the case.

Her legal team has also challenged her transfer from Quito to a prison in Riobamba, about four hours from the capital. Guarderas said a judicial order had required González to remain in Quito to protect the rights of her minor child and her father, who has kidney disease.

Convocan plantón en la Fiscalía en Quito, Ecuador, contra el Gobierno del presidente Daniel Noboa. Legisladores exigen el cese de la persecución política y reclaman información sobre el paradero de Luisa González, exigiendo justicia y debido proceso. 🇪🇨📢 #Ecuador #Quito #teleSUR… pic.twitter.com/F5DK2JzoDV

— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) October 22, 2026

Text Reads: Protest rally called at the Prosecutor’s Office in Quito, Ecuador, against the Government of President Daniel Noboa. Lawmakers demand an end to political persecution and request information on the whereabouts of Luisa González, calling for justice and due process.

Despite the order, authorities moved her during a nighttime operation, which Guarderas described as clandestine. He argued that the transfer obstructed the preparation of her defense and violated the judge’s instructions.

Opposition alleges political persecution

Revolución Ciudadana has described the case as political persecution intended to weaken the opposition and prevent González from competing politically. Guarderas likewise accused Noboa’s administration of using judicial proceedings to target prominent opponents.

These allegations remain the position of González’s defense and have not been independently established in the information available for this report.

González’s lawyers said they would file legal challenges seeking to reverse her transfer and report the alleged violations of due process. The case remains before Ecuador’s courts, with the defense contesting both the financial evidence and the procedures that led to her arrest and imprisonment.

Opposition parties slammed Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over his statement on the devastating wildfires in Greece in his weekly review traditionally posted on social media on Sundays. “Without a trace of self-criticism about the fires” as news website in.gr entitled its relevant report, “he blamed everything on extreme weather phenomena.” At a time when voices […]

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