Israel govt formation: In big setback for Netanyahu, Arab parties back Eisenkot

Backing Eisenkot without formally joining his coalition means Arab-led parties would support the government in parliamentary votes but remain outside its ministerial team. They would not necessarily hold government posts or share full governing responsibility.

The key mechanism is parliamentary support. The Joint List could vote with the opposition on confidence motions, budgets or other crucial measures. Its lawmakers could help the opposition reach the numbers needed to govern, while keeping their own political identity and positions.

This arrangement matters because the opposition has 48 seats, while the Joint List and Ra’am together hold 19. Their support could lift the opposition to 67 seats, above the 61-seat threshold. Ahmad Tibi said the Joint List was prepared to support an opposition government without necessarily joining its governing coalition. The arrangement could remove Netanyahu while avoiding a formal coalition agreement with Arab parties.

The election produced four important blocs. Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc secured 53 seats. The opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48. The Joint List won 11 seats, while Mansour Abbas-led Ra’am won eight.

The Knesset has 120 members. A government needs support from at least 61 lawmakers, which is more than half the chamber. Neither major bloc reached that number alone, so the election created a parliamentary deadlock and made smaller parties highly influential.

The two Arab-led parties together control 19 seats. If both support Eisenkot’s opposition, its 48 seats could rise to 67. That would clear the 61-seat threshold and give the opposition a possible governing majority. The figures do not guarantee a government, however, because political agreements and votes would still be needed. They explain why Arab lawmakers became decisive in the government-formation process.

Israel’s election left no bloc with a clear majority. Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc won 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s opposition won 48. Because the Knesset has 120 members, a government needs support from at least 61 lawmakers.

The Joint List won 11 seats and Ra’am won eight. Together, they control 19 seats. If both parties support Eisenkot’s opposition, the opposition’s 48 seats could become 67. That support could arrive through votes rather than formal coalition membership or ministerial appointments.

This is how Arab-led parties could help remove Netanyahu from power. Their lawmakers could back an opposition government during key parliamentary votes, allowing it to survive and pass measures. The arrangement would not necessarily mean that the Arab parties accept every opposition policy. It would instead make their parliamentary support decisive in forming a Jewish-led government, although disagreements could still threaten its stability.

Gadi Eisenkot is a former military chief who leads the opposition effort to form Israel’s next government. Benjamin Netanyahu is Israel’s prime minister and the leader whose right-wing bloc is trying to remain in power after the fractured election.

Ahmad Tibi is a senior lawmaker from the Arab-led Joint List. He offered to cooperate with opposition parties and support an opposition government without necessarily joining it. Mansour Abbas leads Ra’am, another Arab-led party. Ra’am’s eight lawmakers also recommended Eisenkot to Herzog to form the next government.

These roles make the four figures central to the contest. Netanyahu’s bloc has 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s opposition has 48. Tibi’s Joint List has 11 seats, and Abbas’s Ra’am has eight. If both Arab-led parties support Eisenkot, the opposition could reach 67 seats. Their backing could therefore determine whether Netanyahu stays in power or an opposition government replaces him.

Arab-led parties have generally remained outside Israeli governing coalitions because their political positions often conflict with those of Jewish-led parties. The Joint List opposes Israel’s definition as a Jewish state and supports equal rights and Palestinian statehood. Such differences have made formal coalition partnerships difficult.

Arab lawmakers have still supported governments through parliamentary votes. In 2021, however, Mansour Abbas-led Ra’am formally joined the coalition formed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. It became the first independent Arab party in decades to enter an Israeli governing coalition.

That participation was significant because Ra’am helped end Netanyahu’s 12 consecutive years in power. It showed that an Arab party could hold a formal governing role, not merely provide outside support. The current proposal marks another possible break with precedent: the Joint List may support an opposition government without joining its coalition, while Ra’am has already recommended Eisenkot to form the next government.

Eisenkot has set four conditions for parties seeking to join his government. They must recognise Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, accept the values of its Declaration of Independence, support mandatory service for all citizens, and recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation that must be dismantled.

These requirements are aimed at formal coalition partners. Ahmad Tibi argues they should not apply to the Joint List if it provides parliamentary support without formally joining. Under that model, Arab lawmakers could vote to sustain the government but would not take ministerial positions.

This offers an alternative to full coalition membership. Jewish-led opposition parties could form a government while receiving Arab support on crucial votes. The arrangement could produce the numbers needed to govern without requiring the Joint List to endorse every coalition condition. It could also reduce the political cost for opposition figures who are reluctant to depend on parties with different views on Israel’s identity and the Palestinian issue.

Israel’s parliamentary system turns election results into government through the Knesset. Voters elect lawmakers and parties, and the winning blocs must then negotiate with other parties. The prime minister is not directly elected with a fixed majority in a separate national vote.

The election described here produced a divided chamber. Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s opposition won 48. Smaller parties became important because neither side reached the 61 seats needed to form a government. Party recommendations and coalition agreements therefore determine who can govern.

In this contest, Arab-led parties may decide the outcome. The Joint List has 11 seats and Ra’am has eight. Their support could raise the opposition from 48 to 67, above the majority threshold. They could provide votes without joining the coalition or taking ministries. This system allows a government to depend on negotiated parliamentary support, but it can also make governing fragile when partners disagree.