Arab Party Group Backs Eisenkot to Form Israel’s Next Government

A delegation led by Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen met President Isaac Herzog on November 5 as Herzog prepared to choose who would be asked to form Israel’s next government. Jabareen urged him to give the task to Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party and a challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Arab Parties Back Eisenkot as Netanyahu Loses His Majority

Israel’s largest Arab party grouping backed Gadi Eisenkot on November 5, strengthening the effort to replace Benjamin Netanyahu after his coalition lost its majority in October’s elections. A delegation led by Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen asked President Isaac Herzog to give Eisenkot the opportunity to form a government.

The endorsement could help clear a path to a coalition excluding Netanyahu. It also puts Arab parties’ support at the center of the contest over who governs, as Herzog prepares to select a candidate to assemble the next government.

The political shift comes amid worsening relations between Israel and Washington. US President Donald Trump said this week he intends to end American aid to Israel after this year. His vice president linked Republican losses in the midterms in part to the party’s failure to change its approach to Israel, while some victorious candidates were more critical of Israel.

For those focused on the stakes of the government’s formation, the election is not only about Netanyahu’s political future: it also unfolds as support for Israel faces greater contest in US politics. The immediate next step is Herzog’s decision on whom to ask to form a government.

Arab Parties Push Herzog to Let Netanyahu’s Rival Form Government

Israel’s largest Arab party grouping has thrown its support behind Gadi Eisenkot, urging President Isaac Herzog on November 5 to let the Yashar chairman try to form the next government. The move could help produce a coalition that leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu out, after he lost his majority in October’s elections.

A delegation headed by Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen met Herzog as the president prepared to choose who would attempt to assemble a government. The Arab parties’ endorsement makes their backing a consequential factor in the contest over Netanyahu’s successor.

The choice comes as Israel’s ties with Washington deteriorate. Donald Trump said American support for Israel would cease when the year ends; meanwhile, the vice president connected part of Republicans’ midterm losses to their failure to alter the country’s relationship with Israel. Some candidates critical of Israel also won seats in the elections.

The developments leave the next government’s formation intertwined with a changing American political debate over Israel. Herzog now faces the decision of whether to give Eisenkot the chance to build a governing coalition.