Israel’s Arab parties are expected to recommend Eisenkot as prime minister. Netanyahu calls a coalition with them forbidden.
Israel’s Arab-led parties are expected to recommend Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister when President Isaac Herzog opens consultations this week, a move that could give the opposition leader the first chance to form a government in place of Benjamin Netanyahu.
The final count left Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats and Eisenkot’s bloc with 48, with the Arab-led Joint List at 11 seats and Ra’am at eight, neither main bloc reaching the 61 needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Herzog is expected to receive the official results from the Central Elections Committee on Wednesday and begin consultations with each party that day, with meetings likely to continue Thursday and possibly Friday. Ynetnews projected 60 recommendations for Eisenkot and 46 for Netanyahu. The Joint List has ruled out joining a coalition but is prepared to support anti-Netanyahu parties from outside the government, The Times of Israel reported. Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas is also expected to back Eisenkot.
Eisenkot made his first outreach to the Arab parties on Saturday night, setting out conditions for coalition partners, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, commitment to the values of its independence and mandatory military service. Ynet reported he is considering a minority government with outside support, and that the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party is weighing ending its alliance with Netanyahu.
Netanyahu has said a coalition with Abbas is forbidden and suggested that it would be treason for Eisenkot to join with Arab parties. Likud has claimed without evidence that the Arab-led parties “stole” the election. Netanyahu supporters protested outside Eisenkot’s home in Herzliya on Sunday, and larger rallies in recent days have called for a Jewish-Arab coalition. Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of trying to delegitimize the vote. Herzog said the results are an established fact and urged leaders to show flexibility. The head of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, said that even if separate claims of foreign interference are substantiated, they would not undermine the election. Qatar has denied funding any activity meant to influence the result, and most suspects arrested in a related bribery case were released after a court said there was no evidence.
After the consultations, Herzog will choose the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a coalition, who will have 28 days. The new Knesset will be sworn in on Nov. 10 regardless. If the effort fails, Herzog could ask another candidate, or the country could face a new election early next year.
Information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Ynetnews, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post and The Telegraph.