Arab bloc’s backing of Eisenkot narrows Netanyahu’s path to power

Israel’s Arab parties, which secured a historic 19 seats in the recent election, have announced they will back opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc, further dimming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s prospects of forming a government, Al Jazeera reported.

How many seats did the Arab parties win and who leads them?

They captured a total of 19 seats, with Ra’am winning eight seats under Mansour Abbas and the Joint List securing eleven seats under Yousef Jabareen, according to Al Jazeera.

What conditions has Eisenkot placed on Arab‑party participation?

Eisenkot says any coalition that includes Arab parties must recognise Israel as a Jewish state, endorse mandatory army conscription and label Hamas as a terrorist organization, Al Jazeera noted.

What are the next steps in forming Israel’s next government?

President Isaac Herzog will meet the leaders of the 11 elected parties, then nominate a candidate—most likely Netanyahu or Eisenkot—who will have 28 days, extendable by 14, to assemble a coalition, Al Jazeera reported. Parliamentarians are slated to be sworn in on November 10 regardless of the outcome of the talks.