Israel: Joint List of Arab parties backs Benny Gantz for PM

*BUG AT SOURCE*
M/S Head of the Israeli-Arab Joint List party Ayman Odeh speaking
SOT, Ayman Odeh, Head of the Israeli-Arab Joint List party (Hebrew): "Most of the Israeli public spoke its word. Most of the Israeli public said 'No' to Benjamin Netanyahu's rule. I think that this is the important thing that stands in front of us today. Therefore, as for our recommendation today, we usually don't recommend, this is why without a doubt, there is a historic element to what we do now: We want to put an end to the era of Benjamin Netanyahu. This is why we will recommend Benny Gantz to form the next government. Thank you."
W/S Meeting
SCRIPT
The head of the Israeli-Arab Joint List alliance Ayman Odeh said that they are recommending the Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz to form a new government. Odeh spoke at a meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem on Sunday.
"Most of the Israeli public spoke its word. Most of the Israeli public said 'No' to Benjamin Netanyahu's rule. I think that this is the important thing that stands in front of us today," said Rivlin.
"Therefore, as for our recommendation today, we usually don't recommend, this is why without a doubt, there is a historic element to what we do now: We want to put an end to the era of Benjamin Netanyahu. This is why we will recommend Benny Gantz to form the next government," he added.
The latest results show that Benny Gantz's Blue and White party is leading by two seats with 33 out of 120 seats in the Knesset with 97 percent of the vote counted. Netanyahu's coalition with ultra-Orthodox as well as right wing parties currently holds 55 seats while Gantz's bloc stands at 57.
The Joint List is made up of the Hadash, Ta'al, United Arab List and Balad parties, although Balad's three Knesset members abstained from supporting Gantz. The move by the Joint List to support Gantz marks the first time that Arab parties have backed an Israeli prime ministerial candidate since 1992.