Arab MPs helped Eisenkot secure mandate to form Israeli government
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Kapitalis, L’Infodrome, L’essentiel, TimesLIVE and France 24
Gadi Eisenkot received the mandate on 8 November to form the next Israeli government after securing 67 recommendations from MPs, against 46 for Benjamin Netanyahu, according to France 24. The 19 Arab seats helped tip the recommendations in his favour, as neither camp won a clear majority in the 27 October election.
Likud won 27 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, but Benjamin Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition has only 53, well short of the 61 needed for a majority. Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party has 21 seats and his coalition, bringing together four parties ranging from the centre-left to the right, holds 48. The two parties representing the Arab minority have 19 seats between them, a record.
Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension. He could attempt a minority government supported by Arab parties in key votes, seek the backing of ultra-Orthodox parties or negotiate a unity government with Netanyahu, but all three scenarios remain difficult to achieve. If he fails, other candidates may be appointed in a process that could last about 100 days before leading to new elections.
Eisenkot said he was open to Likud and the Religious Zionist Party joining a coalition he would lead, provided they accepted the principles he had set out. He called for diplomatic processes in the region to move forward after the war and for President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza to be implemented, while Isaac Herzog called for the formation of a stable government.
A former chief of staff of the Israeli army and the son of Moroccan immigrants, 66-year-old Eisenkot has criticised the conduct of the military campaign in Gaza and settler violence against Palestinians. He could become the first Israeli prime minister from the Mizrahi community.
