Joint List says it will back Eisenkot to form Israel’s next government — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Joint List announced it will recommend Gadi Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog, formalizing its support for the opposition leader to form Israel’s next government
- Ra’am said it would also recommend Eisenkot, contributing to a combined 19-seat bloc of Arab-led parties backing the opposition candidate
- Eisenkot is now expected to receive 67 recommendations, exceeding the 61-seat majority needed to form a government
- Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats, but may secure even fewer endorsements after Degel HaTorah said it would back neither candidate
- Degel HaTorah broke with Netanyahu over the coalition’s failure to pass legislation exempting Haredi men from military service, according to The Times of Israel
- Israel’s Central Elections Committee certified the election results, rejecting Likud’s claims of fraud after finding no evidence
- President Isaac Herzog began consultations with party leaders and condemned racist rhetoric targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel, affirming his respect for the minority
Why it matters: The 19-seat bloc of Arab-led parties now holds decisive power in government formation, enabling Eisenkot to surpass the 61-seat threshold—a shift that weakens Netanyahu’s position and marks the first time Arab parties have collectively backed a non-Likud candidate at this stage, altering Israel’s political calculus.
Ask SkimNews
