Arab-led parties back Gadi Eisenkot to form Israel's next government
The Joint List alliance announced on Thursday it will recommend opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog.
The Joint List alliance of Arab-led parties announced on Thursday that it will recommend opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form Israel's next government. According to Al Jazeera, the alliance intends to inform President Isaac Herzog of this decision on Thursday evening.
The Arab-led parties won a record 19 seats in the 120-seat Knesset during last week's general election. This result includes the 11 lawmakers from the Joint List and the eight seats held by the Ra'am party, which also pledged support for Eisenkot. Combined, these endorsements could give Eisenkot 67 recommendations, surpassing the 61-seat majority required to form a government.
Incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc currently has 58 recommendations, according to Pragativadi. His position was affected by the Degel HaTorah faction, which holds four of United Torah Judaism's seven seats, stating it would not recommend either candidate due to disputes over military service legislation for Haredi men.
Netanyahu has claimed without evidence that Arab parties committed election fraud with foreign backing. However, Israel's Central Elections Committee certified the results on Wednesday after finding no evidence of such fraud. President Herzog has begun consultations with party leaders to decide whom to task with forming the coalition.
Once the President makes his decision, the nominee will have 28 days to assemble a cabinet, with a possible 14-day extension. If no government is formed, Israel would hold new elections early next year.
