Israel’s main opposition leaders have agreed to support former military chief Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister in a push to replace Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as quickly as possible. The alliance met in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, following an election that left neither political bloc with a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
Forming a New Coalition
The agreement was reached ahead of consultations led by President Isaac Herzog to determine who will form the next government. According to a joint statement reported by Al Jazeera, the leaders of the Jewish-led opposition alliance agreed to recommend Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, to President Herzog and announced that negotiating teams would instantly start drafting coalition agreements and policy guidelines.
The gathering included Eisenkot, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman, Yair Golan of the Democrats, and Yesh Atid party head Yair Lapid, as noted by Al Jazeera citing The Jerusalem Post. The leaders agreed to uphold four principles established by Eisenkot, which mandate that all government parties recognize Israel as a Jewish state and classify Hamas as a terrorist group.
Bennett emphasized the need for swift action, telling reporters that time is limited and urgency is required. Meanwhile, Netanyahu urged the formation of a broad national government under his leadership, noting that his Likud party remains the largest with 27 seats. Netanyahu rejected any coalition with Arab-majority lists and faces ongoing corruption trials alongside an international warrant for alleged war crimes.
Role of Arab Parties and Seat Distribution
Following the election, Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats, the opposition won 48, and Arab-led parties took 19 seats, with the Joint List holding 11 and Ra’am winning eight, falling short of the 61-seat majority threshold. The opposition bloc remains divided regarding whether to form an alliance with Arab-led parties whose support could prove decisive in the Knesset.
Yousef Jabareen, head of the largest Arab-led party in the upcoming parliament, urged the opposition to acknowledge political reality and unite to unseat Netanyahu. Golan stands as the sole opposition leader openly supporting an alliance with Arab-led parties, arguing that excluding them is racist, while Liberman firmly opposes their inclusion.
President Herzog is scheduled to hold consultations with political parties on Wednesday and Thursday to decide on the next government mandate. Eisenkot could potentially receive the highest number of parliamentary recommendations if he manages to secure the backing of lawmakers from the Arab parties.
