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Arab-supported government in Israel looks less likely

Riots in Lod, Ramle and other mixed Jewish and Arab cities, coupled with Israeli retaliation against the barrage of rockets from Gaza, are making an Arab-backed government coalition look increasing unfeasible.
Ra'am Party leader Mansour Abbas and other party members attend a meeting with President Reuven Rivlin at the President's residence on April 5, 2021 in Jerusalem.

“We just suffered a devastating blow," a senior official involved in the negotiations to form Israel's next government told Al-Monitor this morning on condition of anonymity. "It is doubtful now that we will be able to form the government that we wanted. The overwhelming feeling is that everything just got a lot more complicated.” The pessimistic assessment comes in the wake of one of the most impactful nights in the history of Arab-Jewish relations in the State of Israel.

Since early yesterday morning, Gaza militants have been firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli southern communities. By evening, the projectiles' range encompassed Tel Aviv and its neighboring cities. The rocket attacks lasted throughout the night and millions of Israelis were forced into shelters.

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