Eisenkot Gains Support as Arab Parties Shape Israel Coalition Talks

Israel's post-election political deadlock has placed Arab-led parties in a decisive position as opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot seeks to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The results of Tuesday's election left neither major political bloc with enough seats to govern independently, prompting renewed calls for cooperation between Jewish and Arab political parties.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to urge opposition leaders to consider an alliance with Arab parties. The rally reflected growing pressure on Eisenkot to pursue a parliamentary majority capable of ending Netanyahu's government, according to Al Jazeera.

Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats, while Eisenkot's bloc won 48 in the 120-seat Knesset. The three Arab-led parties collectively secured 19 seats, potentially giving an alliance with Eisenkot 67 seats, comfortably above the 61 required for a parliamentary majority.

Nearly 840,000 voters supported Ra'am and the Joint List, representing a 64 percent increase compared with the 2022 election, according to Israel's Central Election Committee.

Demonstrators described the election as an important opportunity to change the country's political direction. Some protesters told AFP this was their

"last chance for real change" and described Netanyahu as a "great manipulator," according to accounts from the demonstration.

Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh reported that voters seeking political change wanted opposition politicians to consider their demands. She highlighted the significance of Arab voters in determining the next government's composition.

"People really want this vote for change to work out, and they believe that… Gadi Eisenkot and other leaders of the Jewish-Israeli parties need to listen to their voice," Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh said.

Counter-demonstrators also appeared in Tel Aviv, expressing opposition to cooperation with Arab political groups. Netanyahu supporters voiced their position during the demonstrations.

"Israel should not have a government with so-called terrorists," Netanyahu supporters shouted, according to Odeh.

Netanyahu has also challenged the legitimacy of the Arab parties' electoral success. He accused Palestinian-Israeli parties of "stealing" the election and accepting financial support from Qatar. Qatar rejected the allegations, describing them as a disinformation campaign.

Odeh also described the rhetoric directed at Arab voters by some Israeli right-wing circles, where their electoral participation was compared with the October 7 attack.

"the historic turnout of Palestinian Israelis as electoral terrorism, equating it to the October 7th attack," Odeh said, describing how right-wing circles characterized the result.

The October 7 attack involved Hamas-led fighters entering southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking hundreds captive, according to the source.

Odeh said Palestinian-Israeli voters had become central to the political negotiations because of their "prominent position" in determining whether Eisenkot could assemble a government.

Meanwhile, President Isaac Herzog is preparing consultations with representatives of the parties elected to the 26th Knesset. According to Ynet, the meetings could begin Wednesday, November 4, before the new parliament formally convenes.

Herzog will ask party representatives which candidate they recommend to lead government formation. Israeli law requires the president to complete the consultation process and assign the mandate within seven days of the official publication of the election results.

The expected endorsements currently give Eisenkot 60 seats and Netanyahu 46. The remaining 14 seats belong to parties that have not firmly committed to either candidate or have yet to announce their recommendations.

Likud, with 27 seats, is expected to recommend Netanyahu. Otzma Yehudit, which won seven seats, is also expected to support him, alongside Shas and Religious Zionism, each holding six seats.

Eisenkot's expected supporters include Yashar!, with 21 seats, and B'Yachad (Together), with 12. The Joint List, which holds 11 seats, is likely to recommend him, as are Ra'am and The Democrats, each with eight seats.

The Joint List has expressed willingness to cooperate in establishing an alternative government. Ahmad Tibi reiterated on Saturday that the party was prepared to recommend Eisenkot and support replacing the Knesset speaker.

Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas has also left open the possibility of joining a new government or supporting it from outside the coalition. However, cooperation remains uncertain because Avigdor Lieberman has repeatedly rejected both joining Netanyahu's government and participating in an administration dependent on Arab parties.

Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu holds seven seats and has not announced its presidential recommendation. His position remains a significant obstacle to securing a unified opposition arrangement.

United Torah Judaism, which also holds seven seats, has not committed to either candidate. Its leaders are seeking legislation regulating military-service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students before deciding whether to participate in a future government.

The presidential consultations are expected to continue Thursday and potentially Friday as Herzog evaluates the parties' recommendations and determines who will receive the mandate to form Israel's next government.