Israel’s two Arab-led parliamentary factions have endorsed former military chief Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister, giving him a majority of lawmakers’ recommendations as President Isaac Herzog weighs who should attempt to form the next government.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
JERUSALEM — Israel’s largest Arab-led parliamentary alliance announced Thursday, Nov. 5, that it would support opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bid to form a government, strengthening his position over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a longtime ultra-Orthodox coalition ally declined to endorse the incumbent.
The Joint List’s decision followed a similar endorsement from Ra’am, also known as the United Arab List, placing the combined support of Israel’s Arab-led parties behind Eisenkot as President Isaac Herzog continued consultations following the inconclusive Oct. 27 parliamentary election.
According to Reuters, the endorsements give Eisenkot the backing of parties representing a majority of the 120-member Knesset, although that support does not guarantee he can assemble a governing coalition.
The election left Netanyahu’s nationalist and religious alliance with 53 parliamentary seats, while four Jewish-led opposition parties aligned with Eisenkot secured 48. The Joint List won 11 seats, and Ra’am captured eight, giving Arab-led parties a record 19 seats.
Together, the opposition and Arab-led factions hold 67 seats, exceeding the 61 required for a parliamentary majority.
The political arithmetic shifted further against Netanyahu when United Torah Judaism, a longstanding ally representing ultra-Orthodox Jewish voters, announced that it would not recommend any candidate to Herzog.
The decision reflected tensions over the outgoing government’s failure to enact legislation granting military service exemptions to ultra-Orthodox religious students.
According to The Times of Israel, the Degel HaTorah faction of United Torah Judaism decided to withhold its recommendation following consultations with senior religious leaders.
The faction controls four of United Torah Judaism’s seven parliamentary seats. The position of the party’s remaining three lawmakers was initially uncertain, but the alliance ultimately declined to endorse a candidate.
The development represents a setback for Netanyahu, whose Likud party won 27 seats, more than any other individual party, but whose traditional coalition partners failed to secure a parliamentary majority.
Herzog began consultations with parliamentary factions Wednesday after receiving the official election results.
Under Israeli law, the president must select the lawmaker he believes has the strongest prospect of forming a government. That individual is not necessarily the leader of the party winning the most seats.
The president has until Nov. 11 to make the selection.
Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, leads the Yashar party and has emerged as the principal candidate seeking to replace Netanyahu.
His support includes the Democrats party led by Yair Golan, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s B’Yachad party and Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beytenu.
However, disagreements over whether Arab-led factions should participate in or support a future government remain a major obstacle.
Lieberman has said he will recommend Eisenkot for prime minister but will not join a government dependent on Arab parliamentary support.
According to The Times of Israel’s reporting on the opposition negotiations, Lieberman rejected proposals for a minority government sustained by Arab lawmakers voting in its favor without formally joining the coalition.
Other opposition leaders have expressed similar reservations.
The dispute became especially prominent Thursday when Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas met Herzog and discussed the political conditions under which his party might cooperate with other factions.
Abbas called for Hamas to be disarmed and removed from power but declined to explicitly describe the organization as a terrorist group.
Eisenkot has made recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization a condition for parties seeking to participate in his proposed coalition.
During the consultation, Abbas asked Herzog to “leave me some room to protect myself and my family, too,” according to The National’s account of the negotiations.
The disagreement underscores the political difficulties facing Eisenkot even with support from a parliamentary majority for receiving the mandate.
Ra’am previously participated in Israel’s governing coalition under Bennett in 2021, establishing a precedent for an Arab-led party joining a government led by Jewish parties.
The Joint List, meanwhile, has indicated that it could support an Eisenkot government from outside the coalition.
Ahmad Tibi, a senior Joint List lawmaker, previously urged Eisenkot to consider the example of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who relied on parliamentary support from Arab lawmakers during the 1990s.
Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen has also expressed willingness to support a government that would replace Netanyahu while remaining outside the governing coalition.
Speaking before Thursday’s consultations, Jabareen described the election outcome as an opportunity for political change.
“This is really a historic moment and I hope that there will be partners within the opposition to go ahead with that,” he told The Guardian, as reported by The Times of Israel.
“We are thinking that this could be the start of a change.”
The Arab-led parties’ increased parliamentary representation followed unusually high turnout among Arab Israeli voters, who opposed several policies pursued by Netanyahu’s outgoing coalition.
Netanyahu has challenged aspects of the election outcome, alleging possible foreign interference and irregularities involving Arab-majority voting districts.
Israeli election authorities have said the integrity of the vote was not compromised.
Herzog has condemned inflammatory statements directed at Arab citizens and emphasized their participation in Israel’s political institutions.
The president has also urged party leaders to pursue negotiations rather than allow the political stalemate to produce another election.
According to Agence France-Presse, Herzog’s consultations represent the first step in a potentially lengthy coalition-building process.
Once a candidate receives the mandate, that lawmaker normally has 28 days to assemble a government, with a possible extension of 14 days.
If negotiations fail, Herzog may assign the task to another candidate.
Additional parliamentary procedures could follow if no candidate secures sufficient support, potentially leading to another national election.
Israel has experienced repeated periods of political instability in recent years, with coalition disagreements contributing to multiple elections and changes of government.
The latest political dispute comes amid continuing regional security challenges, including the war involving Iran and tensions in Gaza and the West Bank.
Any incoming government would inherit responsibility for Israel’s military strategy, relations with Washington and negotiations concerning regional security arrangements.
Netanyahu remains prime minister while the coalition formation process proceeds.
His supporters argue that Likud’s position as the largest individual party should strengthen his claim to another term, while opposition parties contend that the broader parliamentary balance favors a change in government.
The president’s decision will determine which candidate receives the first opportunity to resolve those competing claims through coalition negotiations.
As of Thursday, Eisenkot had secured support from parties representing 67 lawmakers, while Netanyahu’s position had weakened following United Torah Judaism’s refusal to endorse him.
The endorsements give Eisenkot a substantial advantage in the presidential consultation process but leave unresolved whether he can establish a coalition acceptable to its prospective members.
Herzog is expected to complete his deliberations by Nov. 11, setting the stage for negotiations that will determine whether Netanyahu remains in office or Israel forms a government under new leadership.
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