The Joint List, an alliance of Arab political factions in Israel, on Thursday announced its support for Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot as its choice for the country’s next prime minister. The alliance will formally recommend him to President Isaac Herzog during consultations on government formation.
Eisenkot is now set to receive recommendations from 67 members of the 120-seat Knesset, putting him ahead of incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . The tally includes eight lawmakers from the Arab-led Ra’am party, which had earlier announced its support, and 11 members of the Joint List, The Times of Israel reported.
Herzog begins consultations with party leaders
Earlier, Ra’am, an Arab-led party with eight seats, said it would also recommend Eisenkot, Al Jazeera reported. President Isaac Herzog has accepted the certified results of last week’s parliamentary election and begun consultations with political parties to decide who should be tasked with forming the next government. Netanyahu — a polarising right-winger who has led Israel through three years of war — nor Mr. Eisenkot — a former military chief promising to restore national unity — secured enough votes for a majority. Herzog will choose for himself whom to ask to form a new government, but traditionally the mandate is given to the person recommended by more parties, which would be Mr. Eisenkot.
Arab-led parties won a record 19 seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament in last week’s general election. Netanyahu’s bloc, which holds 53 seats, may not secure recommendations from all its members. Earlier reporting noted: Eisenkot tipped to seek Israel government as religious party drops Netanyahu Gadi Eisenkot emerged on Thursday (November 5, 2026) as the favourite to be tasked with trying to form an Israeli government as a religious party long aligned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to recommend him. Earlier reporting noted: President Isaac Herzog was holding a second day of consultations with political parties after the October 27 election, in which neither Mr.
“The Joint List announced today, Thursday, that it will inform the President of the State, Isaac Herzog, this evening of its decision to recommend that Gadi Eisenkot be tasked with forming the government,” the party said in a statement, as per AFP. Degel HaTorah, which controls four of the seven seats held by United Torah Judaism, has said it will not recommend either candidate. The ultra-Orthodox faction has distanced itself from Netanyahu over his government’s failure to pass legislation exempting Haredi men from compulsory military service, according to The Times of Israel. He said the delegations had submitted their recommendations on which Knesset member should receive the mandate to form the government.
Earlier reporting noted: Mr. On Wednesday, Herzog met representatives of the Religious Zionism, Zehut, Shas and Yisrael Beytenu parties. Herzog said consultations would continue on Thursday.
