Arab parties back Eisenkot, but path to Israeli coalition remains fraught

Former Israeli army general Gadi Eisenkot secured backing from Arab parties on Thursday, but the process to form an Israeli government is facing a significant hurdle. Mansour Abbas, head of the Arab political party Ra'am, called for Hamas to disarm and remove from power, though he didn't label Hamas as a terrorist organization during talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Herzog is discussing with all parties to determine who would receive the first chance to form a government following last week's inconclusive elections.

Abbas' reluctance to specifically call Hamas a terrorist group puts him at odds with Eisenkot, the opposition bloc leader, who has made this a condition for his potential coalition partners. Abbas expressed a desire for all armed groups to relinquish their weapons and requested Herzog to provide some space for his own protection.

The opposition's ability to form a majority is in jeopardy due to this deadlock. Eisenkot's chances of forming a majority are bolstered by record Arab turnout in the elections and the opposition's relatively poor performance. Many Israeli politicians, including some within Eisenkot's opposition bloc, have expressed reluctance to work with Arab parties. Still, Abbas and the Joint List, a more radical Arab party in the Knesset, have pledged their cooperation.

Despite this, the Joint List said it would nominate Eisenkot to form the government shortly after Ra'am did the same. If chosen, Eisenkot would have 28 days to attempt to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension. If negotiations fail, the opportunity would then be given to another politician deemed by Herzog as most likely to form a government.