United Arab List ready to support Eisenkot government without formal coalition agreement

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has appointed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot as the first choice to form a government after the nation's elections on October 27, as reported by the Associated Press. The former military chief is poised to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in power for an extended period. This move comes as Israel grapples with the aftermath of the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent conflicts in Gaza.

Eisenkot, speaking on his X account, expressed his commitment to establishing a national emergency government and emphasized his readiness to prove his worthiness. He was granted up to six weeks to form a coalition amidst a deeply divided country. Despite representatives from most of Israel's main parties recommending Eisenkot for the task, assembling a parliamentary majority remains a complex and challenging process.

Any potential coalition would necessitate difficult compromises that might alienate their respective voter bases.

Netanyahu and his allies failed to secure a majority in the recent parliamentary elections, while Eisenkot's coalition also fell short of the required majority. Consequently, Arab-led parties, which experienced significant gains in the elections, could become crucial but politically sensitive players in the coalition-building process. An Arab party has only been part of a governing coalition once in Israel's history, and forming such an alliance could prove highly divisive for Eisenkot, given the ongoing war in Gaza.

During the presidential announcement, Netanyahu urged for a "national unity government" in a video statement, warning against hastily forming a government with "terrorist supporters," a term he uses to describe Arab-led parties. The two leaders have expressed contrasting views on various issues, including Netanyahu's reliance on religious parties that seek exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men and his opposition to a formal investigation into the security failures surrounding the October 7 attacks.

Eisenkot has indicated a willingness to partner with Arab-led parties, provided they adhere to certain conditions, such as denouncing Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Eisenkot and Netanyahu, the leading party in parliament, might explore the possibility of forming a broad unity government that includes major Jewish parties. However, their deep ideological differences, such as Netanyahu's stance on ultra-Orthodox exemptions and his opposition to a formal inquiry into the October 7 attacks, pose significant hurdles to reaching an agreement.

Eisenkot's Likud party has also expressed reservations about forming a "minority government," even if supported by external Arab parties, as some within his bloc argue that such an alliance would involve partnering with "radical parties" and could threaten the principles of his own party.