Eisenkot tipped to seek Israel government with backing of Arab lists

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will soon announce which party he intends to ask to form a new government following the recent parliamentary elections. The opposition's Gadi Eisenkot garnered the most recommendations, with 67 out of 120 MPs, while former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received 46. This puts Eisenkot in a strong position to potentially lead the government.

However, Eisenkot's Yashar party has made it clear they will only form a coalition with Arab-majority lists, if necessary. These two Arab lists secured 19 seats, enough to potentially become kingmakers in any coalition. United Torah Judaism, which had backed Netanyahu in the past, has also stated they will not join a government reliant on Arab support.

The ultra-Orthodox party has specifically criticized the proposed amendment to exempt religious students from military service. While Eisenkot has called for an immediate establishment of a national emergency government, he has also been adamant about ending exemptions for military service, which could be a contentious issue in any proposed coalition.