Arab-led Joint List says it will back Eisenkot to form Israel's next government

Summary

Israel's Arab-led Joint List said on Thursday, November 5, that it will recommend opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government, a move that gives him the backing of 67 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset. The Joint List said its decision was unanimous and was meant to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government from returning to power. It followed Wednesday's endorsement by Ra'am, another Arab-led party, whose eight lawmakers also back Eisenkot. The two Arab-led parties won a record 19 seats in the October 27 election, and reports say the endorsements could be decisive. Netanyahu's right-wing bloc won 53 seats and the opposition alliance led by Eisenkot won 48, with a majority requiring 61, so neither camp can govern alone. France 24 reported that Netanyahu also lost the support of an allied religious party, and Hindustan Times described the endorsement as a setback for Netanyahu.

Timeline

1. Al Jazeera

   5 Nov 2026, 14:15 UTCSource ↗

   Al Jazeera reports that the Joint List says it will back Eisenkot to form Israel's next government, and that Arab-led parties won a record 19 seats in the 120-seat parliament in last week's general election.

2. Hindustan Times

   5 Nov 2026, 14:42 UTCSource ↗

   Hindustan Times reports that Eisenkot is set to receive recommendations from 67 members of the 120-seat Knesset, putting him ahead of Netanyahu, and frames the move as a setback for the incumbent prime minister.

3. France 24

   5 Nov 2026, 14:43 UTCSource ↗

   France 24 reports that Israel's largest Arab party grouping said Thursday it would recommend Eisenkot to form the next government, and that Netanyahu lost the support of an allied religious party.

4. Middle East Eye

   5 Nov 2026, 15:59 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that the Joint List unanimously decided to recommend Eisenkot, bringing the number of backing lawmakers to 67, a decision that followed Ra'am's Wednesday endorsement with eight lawmakers.

5. Middle East Eye

   5 Nov 2026, 16:33 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye's live blog reports that the Arab-led Joint List will back Eisenkot to form a new government, a decision it says deals a heavy blow to Netanyahu's efforts to remain in power.

6. Al Jazeera

   5 Nov 2026, 18:30 UTCSource ↗

   Al Jazeera's video report says the Arab-majority party Ra'am and the Democrats have backed Eisenkot in a bid to form Israel's next government.

7. Semafor

   5 Nov 2026, 22:28 UTCSource ↗

   Semafor reports that Israel's largest Arab party grouping declared its support on Thursday for Eisenkot to form the next government.