Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, announced on Thursday evening, November 5 (Aban 14), after two days of consultations with representatives of the parties that made it into the Israeli parliament (Knesset), that 67 representatives out of a total of 120 members of parliament have recommended Gadi Eisenkot to receive the mandate to form a government.
Eisenkot and the challenges of forming a government
Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the "Yashar" party and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, is recognized as the main rival of Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister of Israel. Herzog discussed the support of 46 representatives for Netanyahu during these consultations and also noted that seven representatives from the ultra-Orthodox and religious conservative party "United Torah Judaism" have not endorsed either politician.
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The President of Israel announced that on Sunday, November 8 (Aban 17), he will introduce his preferred candidate to form the government. However, he emphasized that despite Eisenkot's numerical advantage, it is still unclear which candidate has a greater ability to form a stable coalition. Herzog also stated that before making a final decision, he would speak separately with some party leaders.
The role of Arab parties in the new equations
The significant presence of Arab voters who are citizens of Israel in the recent elections and the support of two Arab parties, "Joint List" and "Ra'am" led by Mansour Abbas for Eisenkot, is considered one of the most important political developments. These two parties hold a total of 19 Knesset seats, and their main goal is to prevent Netanyahu from continuing to govern. However, support for Eisenkot does not necessarily mean that these parties will participate in the future government.
Yousef Jabareen, a leader of the Joint List, has emphasized that his party does not seek to hold ministerial positions but is ready to support a cabinet led by Eisenkot from outside the government. Ahmad Tibi, an Arab Israeli politician, has also stated that this coalition is prepared to cooperate with opposition Jewish parties to oust Netanyahu.
Given the complex situation arising from the election results, it remains to be seen who Herzog will ultimately introduce following his final consultations on Sunday. The representative who receives the mandate to form the government will have 28 days to do so, and this deadline can be extended for an additional 14 days at the discretion of the President.
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