Eisenkot Secures Arab Backing to Form Israeli Government

Gadi Eisenkot has become the leading candidate to form Israel’s next government after both major Arab parties pledged their support on Thursday. This endorsement gives the opposition leader a viable path to a majority, even though his bloc holds fewer seats than the incumbent prime minister’s coalition.

President Isaac Herzog is currently consulting with political parties following the October 27 election. Neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor Eisenkot secured a clear majority in the 120-member Knesset. However, the president traditionally tasks the candidate recommended by the largest number of parties with forming a cabinet.

The Joint List, which won 11 seats, stated it would inform Herzog of its decision to recommend Eisenkot. Raam, which took eight seats, issued a similar endorsement. Together, these groups provide the numerical strength Eisenkot needs to bridge the gap with his existing allies.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s position weakened when United Torah Judaism declined to back him for a sixth consecutive term. The party, which holds seven seats, met with Herzog and decided not to recommend any specific lawmaker. This marks a break from a long-standing alliance that has supported Netanyahu through previous elections.

United Torah Judaism remains focused on preserving the military service exemption for religious students. Lawmaker Isaac Pindrus said the party’s immediate goal is sorting out the status of Torah students in the next government. The exemption has become a point of tension because many secular reservists have served multiple tours during the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.

Eisenkot has campaigned on ending these exemptions, a stance that aligns with his base but contrasts with the ultra-Orthodox parties. Critics within his opposition coalition, including former Netanyahu aide Avigdor Liberman, have questioned whether an alliance with Arab parties is sustainable. Liberman shares the outgoing government’s hawkish views on the Palestinians.

Netanyahu has attacked the prospect of an Arab-Israeli alliance in a video shared Wednesday. He alleged that foreign powers may have funded the election and questioned the loyalty of Arab citizens. His bloc, including United Torah Judaism, holds 53 seats in the new parliament. Eisenkot’s bloc holds 48 seats.

Herzog must now decide which candidate to task with forming a government. The chosen candidate will have 28 days to build a cabinet, with the possibility of a 14-day extension. If that candidate fails, Herzog will turn to the next most viable option. The Arab parties’ historic gains in last week’s vote have shifted the arithmetic of the new parliament.