{
  "id": 18426573,
  "title": "Eisenkot tipped to form Israel government with backing of Arab lists",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/eisenkot-tipped-to-form-israel-government-with-backing-of-arab-lists",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-06T02:55:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Jakarta Post",
    "slug": "the-jakarta-post",
    "url": "https://www.thejakartapost.com/world/2026/11/06/eisenkot-tipped-to-form-israel-government-with-backing-of-arab-lists.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Israeli President Isaac Herzog will announce on Sunday which candidate he will task with forming a new government following the October 27 election, in which neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot secured enough votes for a majority. Sixty-seven parliamentary members recommended Eisenkot, while 46 backed Netanyahu, with seven abstaining. Both Arab-majority lists won an unprecedented 19 seats, positioning them as potential kingmakers if Eisenkot's opposition chooses to work with them. United Torah Judaism, an ultra-Orthodox party that previously backed Netanyahu, declined to recommend him for a third time as premier, though it did not back Eisenkot either. Both parties have emphasized sorting out the status of Torah students in their next government. Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats, compared to 48 for Eisenkot's bloc. Arab-majority parties gained historic ground due to dissatisfaction with Netanyahu's government and concerns over racism and discrimination against Arab Israelis.",
  "summary": "Herzog held a second day of consultations with political parties on Thursday after the October 27 election, in which neither Netanyahu -- a polarising right-winger who has led Israel through three years of war -- nor Eisenkot -- a former military chief promising to restore national unity -- secured enough votes for a majority.",
  "key_points": [
    "President Herzog to announce Eisenkot as government formation candidate",
    "Arab lists secured 19 seats, could be kingmakers",
    "United Torah Judaism declined to recommend Eisenkot again"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The unprecedented rise of Arab-majority parties shifts the balance of power, making them essential kingmakers for any candidate attempting to secure a parliamentary majority in the next government.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Haaretz",
        "title": "To win back Americans' hearts, Israel should form a government with Arab parties",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/to-win-back-americans-hearts-israel-should-form-a-government-with",
        "published": "2026-11-06T01:29:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Middle East Eye",
        "title": "Israeli president Herzog deliberates after Eisenkot receives majority Knesset backing to become prime minister",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/israeli-president-herzog-deliberates-after-eisenkot-receives-majority",
        "published": "2026-11-06T03:04:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}