Joint List says it will back Eisenkot to form Israel’s next government

The Joint List alliance of Arab-led parties says it will back Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form a new government after last week’s election. “The Joint List announced today, Thursday, that it will inform the President of the State, Isaac Herzog, this evening of its decision to recommend that Gadi Eisenkot be tasked with forming the government,” the alliance said in a statement.

Arab-led parties won a record 19 seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament in last week’s general election, a result that could give them significant influence over the formation of the next government. Once the Joint List’s 11 lawmakers formally submit their recommendation, Eisenkot is expected to have the backing of 67 lawmakers, exceeding the 61-seat majority threshold in the Knesset.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats may not yield 53 endorsements, as Degel HaTorah, which holds four of United Torah Judaism’s seven seats, said it would recommend neither candidate.