Eisenkot Clears 67 Endorsements to Form Israel's Government as Arab Parties Back Him

JERUSALEM — Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot has cleared the threshold to form Israel's next government, securing 67 recommendations in the 120-seat Knesset after the Arab-led Joint List and the Ra'am party threw their weight behind him in consultations with President Isaac Herzog. The backing lifts Eisenkot six seats above the 61 needed for a parliamentary majority and leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc at 46, after the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party abstained rather than recommending its longtime ally. The outcome follows Israel's October 27 election, which gave neither side a majority.

The Joint List, which won 11 seats, said its three factions had unanimously agreed to recommend Eisenkot, driven by what it called public demand to prevent Netanyahu and his government from returning to power. Ra'am, which holds eight seats, also endorsed him, giving the two Arab-led groups a combined 19 seats and a kingmaker role in the fragmented parliament. The Joint List made clear it will not formally join Eisenkot's governing coalition, though it may support a government from outside, and Eisenkot has set conditions for any partnership, including that Arab-led parties recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation — a step the Joint List and Ra'am have so far refused, even as both condemned the October 7, 2023 attack and violence against civilians.

Netanyahu's position weakened further when United Torah Judaism, which holds seven seats, told Herzog it would recommend no candidate, citing frustration over Netanyahu's failure to pass long-promised legislation enshrining military service exemptions for yeshiva students. With consultations wrapping up, Herzog is expected to formally task Eisenkot with the first attempt to assemble a government, giving him 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension. The arithmetic favours Eisenkot, but the coalition maths does not yet guarantee a working cabinet, and the region watches whether the opposition bloc can hold together long enough to govern. Follow live updates as the mandate is issued.