Israeli protesters demand opposition ally with Arab parties to oust Netanyahu — SkimNews
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- Eisenkot faced calls at rallies of about 500 in Tel Aviv and 100 in Jerusalem to ally with Raam and the Joint List; their combined 19 seats and the opposition’s 48 would create a potential 67-seat majority.
- Eisenkot said he would form only a "Zionist government" whose members recognize Israel as a Jewish, democratic and liberal state and Hamas as a terrorist organization; Arab leaders had previously refused those conditions.
- Jabareen said the Joint List would support Eisenkot in parliament without joining his government, citing, among other concerns, the war in Gaza.
- Liberman said Yisrael Beitenu would not enter a coalition relying on Arab parties, even for external support.
- Abbas voiced willingness to join a government again, after Arab parties formally sat in one only from 2021 to 2022, when he joined a short-lived coalition.
- Herzog was expected to grant a party leader a mandate to form a government within 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension.
- Netanyahu called collaboration with Arab parties a "disaster for Israel" and alleged improper Qatari support for Arab politicians; police arrested three suspects over envelopes of cash, while the election commission called the incident isolated and local.
Why it matters: Raam and the Joint List’s 19 seats are pivotal to the opposition’s 67-seat majority, making Eisenkot’s treatment of formal versus outside Arab support decisive within the 28-day mandate period. His demand that ministers recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization is a second obstacle because Arab leaders previously rejected that condition.
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