Netanyahu out? Arab-led parties back Gadi Eisenkot to form Israel’s govt- what next?

A recommendation is a party’s formal advice to President Isaac Herzog about which lawmaker should receive the mandate to form a government. It is an important signal during consultations, but it is not the same as joining that lawmaker’s coalition or promising every vote in parliament.

The Joint List said it would recommend Gadi Eisenkot, while the Arab-led Ra’am alliance also backed him. The Joint List has 11 seats and Ra’am has eight. Added to Eisenkot’s opposition support, those recommendations could raise his potential backing to 67 lawmakers, above the 61-seat majority threshold.

That support gives Eisenkot a clear advantage in the consultations. However, it does not automatically create a workable government. Yisrael Beiteinu has opposed depending on Arab parties, so Eisenkot would still need to negotiate a coalition that can reliably command at least 61 votes.

Likud emerged as the largest party with 27 seats. Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc initially had 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s opposition bloc had 48. The Joint List held 11 seats and Ra’am held eight, giving Arab-led parties 19 seats together. United Torah Judaism had seven seats.

The numbers matter because Israel’s government needs parliamentary support. The Knesset has 120 seats, and 61 is more than half of that total. A candidate who can secure at least 61 lawmakers has the numbers needed to support a government and avoid being outvoted on its basic survival.

Netanyahu’s bloc fell from 53 recommendations to 46 after UTJ withheld support. Eisenkot’s potential backing could reach 67 when opposition parties, Ra’am, and the Joint List are counted. Those totals show why smaller parties can determine who forms the next government.

United Torah Judaism was a long-time Netanyahu ally and held seven Knesset seats. Its decision not to recommend him removed an important part of the support initially counted for Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc. That made it harder for him to show President Isaac Herzog that he could assemble a government.

Before UTJ’s decision, Netanyahu’s bloc had 53 recommendations. After the ultra-Orthodox party withheld its support, his total fell to 46. UTJ said it would not recommend Netanyahu or Eisenkot, reportedly because legislation protecting military-service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox students had not passed.

The setback did not immediately remove Netanyahu from office. He remained prime minister in a caretaker capacity while Herzog considered the consultations. But the lost recommendations strengthened Eisenkot’s position and left Netanyahu farther from the 61 lawmakers required to support a majority government.

President Isaac Herzog oversees the consultation stage after the election. Political parties tell him which lawmaker they recommend to form the government. Herzog then assesses the available numbers and political relationships before deciding who should receive the mandate.

The largest recommendation total matters, but it is not legally decisive. The article says Herzog is not required to appoint the candidate with the most endorsements. His central test is whether a lawmaker appears best positioned to assemble a governing coalition that can function and secure parliamentary support.

Herzog’s consultations were expected to conclude on Thursday, with Eisenkot’s Yashar and Netanyahu’s Likud scheduled to meet him near the end. The lawmaker he chooses receives 28 days to form a government, with a possible extension of up to 14 days, for a maximum of 42 days.

Receiving the mandate is only the beginning. Eisenkot would have to turn party recommendations into a coalition that can command support from at least 61 of the Knesset’s 120 lawmakers. Recommendations alone do not guarantee that parties will join his government or support it consistently.

Under the process described, Eisenkot would have 28 days to form a government. Herzog could extend that period by up to 14 days, making the maximum 42 days. Eisenkot would need to resolve opposition inside his camp, especially concerns about relying on Arab parties.

If he failed, Herzog could ask another lawmaker to try. If later attempts also failed, the process could eventually lead to parliament being dissolved and fresh elections. Until a new government is formed, Netanyahu would remain prime minister in a caretaker capacity.

Arab-led parties can hold the balance because Israel’s parliament is divided among multiple parties and blocs. A party does not need to be the largest to become decisive. If the main blocs fall short of 61 seats, a smaller group can provide the votes needed to cross that threshold.

The October 27 election gave Arab-led parties 19 of the Knesset’s 120 seats. The Joint List won 11, and Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas, won eight. Netanyahu’s bloc initially had 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s opposition bloc had 48. Those figures left both sides needing additional support.

The Joint List’s recommendation and Ra’am’s backing could raise Eisenkot’s potential support to 67 lawmakers. Yet influence is not the same as coalition membership. Yisrael Beiteinu has opposed a government dependent on Arab parties, so their support could still be difficult to turn into a stable coalition.

Israel’s parliamentary process turns election results into a government through coalition building. The election determines how many seats each party and bloc controls in the 120-member Knesset. Because no single party usually controls a majority, the parties must combine their seats and support a governing team.

The mechanism begins with President Isaac Herzog’s consultations. Parties recommend a lawmaker, and Herzog chooses the person he believes has the best chance of forming a functioning government. That lawmaker then has 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to negotiate agreements and secure support from at least 61 lawmakers.

The figures illustrate the process. Likud was the largest party with 27 seats, but Netanyahu’s bloc initially had only 53. Eisenkot’s bloc held 48, while the Joint List and Ra’am together held 19. Their recommendations could therefore decide which coalition reaches a majority.