Arab Parties Rally Behind Eisenkot, Netanyahu Faces Ouster Threat

Anti-Netanyahu Camp Secures 67 Seats
Prospects for Coalition-Building Mandate Brighten
Ultra-Orthodox Parties Decline to Recommend Netanyahu

Arab parties in Israel's general election declared their support for Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar Party, giving the anti-Netanyahu camp the backing of 67 seats, a majority in parliament. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, was at risk of losing power after some of his key ultra-Orthodox allies withdrew their support.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walks through the Likud Party campaign headquarters in Jerusalem on the 28th of last month (local time). Reuters-Yonhap News

According to The Times of Israel and Agence France-Presse (AFP) on November 5 (local time), the Joint List, Israel's largest alliance of Arab parties, recommended its leader, Eisenkot, to President Isaac Herzog as the person responsible for forming the next government. The Joint List, which won 11 seats in the general election, made the decision unanimously across its three constituent factions.

The Joint List said the decision was "in response to the public's strong demand to prevent the Netanyahu government from continuing." It added, "Although the opposition has not sufficiently demonstrated its resolve to counter the right's incitement against Arab citizens and infringement of their rights, it is now important to widen the gap with Netanyahu decisively."

The Joint List plans to support the next government led by Eisenkot from outside, rather than join it directly. Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen said, "Voters cast their ballots for genuine change," adding, "We are choosing the less bad option between a bad choice and an even worse one."

Lawmakers Ahmad Tibi also said, "We will support Eisenkot's minority government as a blocking force to prevent a right-wing coalition from taking office," but added, "We do not want the Cabinet to collapse shortly after we help the government take office."

A woman walks past a polling station in Jerusalem on the 28th of last month (local time). Reuters-Yonhap News

Earlier, Ra'am, an Islamist Arab party that won eight seats, also declared its support for Eisenkot. Arab parties that had pursued independent paths are joining forces to replace the Netanyahu government.

As a result, the anti-Netanyahu camp, which initially had just 48 seats, gained the support of 67 of the 120 seats, a majority, with the addition of 19 seats held by Arab parties. In Israel, the president appoints the person responsible for forming a government, taking into account recommendations from each party and the prospects for forming a coalition. With Eisenkot securing recommendations from a majority, he is now more likely to receive the mandate to form a coalition first.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, has been cornered after some ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties that form a key part of his support base withdrew their backing. The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ), which holds seven seats, said during consultations with President Herzog that day that it would not recommend any particular candidate for prime minister.

After four lawmakers from Degel HaTorah, the Lithuanian faction within UTJ, said the previous day that they would not support Netanyahu's nomination, three lawmakers from Agudat Israel, the Hasidic faction, made the same decision.

The parties said their decisions followed the instructions of their religious leaders. Their dissatisfaction reportedly stems from Netanyahu's failure to legally guarantee exemptions from military service for students at yeshivas, ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminaries.

However, Shas, another ultra-Orthodox party with six seats, recommended Netanyahu as its candidate for prime minister. Rabbi Moshe Maya, a member of Shas's highest decision-making body, the Council of Torah Sages, urged Eisenkot to form a rotation government that includes Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox parties. In a rotation government, coalition parties share the prime minister's term in accordance with an agreement.

Meanwhile, according to The Jerusalem Post, President Herzog is expected to grant the mandate to form a coalition on November 8. The candidate who receives the mandate will have 28 days to form a government, with the possibility of an extension of up to 14 days.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.