The Arab-Israeli Joint List has confirmed that it will formally endorse Yashar’s Gadi Eisenkot to become prime minister in post-election discussions with President Herzog.
The party, which won 11 Knesset seats in last week’s vote, said the decision was unanimous among its three constituent factions – Hadash, Balad and Ta’al – “in response to the public demand to prevent [incumbent Prime Minister] Netanyahu and his government from returning to power”.
It added that it would look to “confront Netanyahu’s path, as well as to fight incitement against Arab citizens and attempts to undermine the legitimacy of their political decision,” referring to allegations made by Netanyahu’s Likud party of widespread voter fraud among the Arab community, which are currently being investigated by the Shin Bet.
The endorsement will be formally presented to Herzog this afternoon, meaning Eisenkot now has the backing of 67 MKs, with only 61 required for a majority.
It also follows the refusal by United Torah Judaism (UTJ), one of Israel’s two major Charedi parties, to back either Eisenkot or Netanyahu, despite its longtime coalition with Likud, on the orders of its senior rabbis.
That left Netanyahu with the official support of just 46 MKs, a heavy blow to his chances of forming the next government.
However, Eisenkot’s route to power is not straightforward as, despite the endorsements of both the Joint List and the other major Arab party, Ra’am, it remains unclear whether he would be able to build a majority coalition.
At least one member of his bloc, Avigdor Liberman, has said he would withdraw from any coalition involving the Arab parties, taking the seven seats won by his Yisrael Beiteinu party with him, thereby knocking it back under the majority threshold.
Alternatively, Eisenkot could form a minority government, which could pass legislation as long as at least 13 of the 26 MKs between Ra’am, the Joint List and UTJ agreed to abstain.
But clashes over Palestinian statehood, the war in Gaza, Charedi conscription and West Bank settlements could quickly derail any abstention agreement.
Herzog is due to give either Eisenkot or Netanyahu the chance to form a government following his meetings with all party leaders, with the former expected to be given the first attempt.
Should he fail to build a viable coalition, Netanyahu would then be given the chance. If he were similarly unsuccessful, and unless a unity government (which Eisenkot has largely ruled out) could emerge, there would then be fresh elections in 2027.
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