Herzog to name government-forming candidate on Sunday after inconclusive election

The endorsements came in consultations with party heads that ended on Thursday, giving Eisenkot 67 of the 120 Knesset members against 46 for Netanyahu. Netanyahu's backing fell seven short of his bloc's 53 seats after United Torah Judaism, one of his longtime allies, withheld its endorsement over his coalition's failure to exempt ultra-Orthodox Israelis from military service. Herzog has not publicly committed to either side, saying that while the numbers may look clear, "mutual vetoes between the blocs and within the blocs themselves" made it hard to tell who could build a coalition.

No bloc secured the 61 seats needed for a majority at the October 27 election: Netanyahu's right-wing and religious alliance holds 53, four Jewish-led parties backing Eisenkot hold 48, and Arab-led parties hold a record 19. Eisenkot has ruled out forming a government with the Arab-led parties even though their support would give him the numbers.

Both the Joint List, an alliance of three parties holding 11 seats, and the United Arab List (Ra'am), with eight, endorsed Eisenkot during the consultations. Ra'am says it is willing to join a government he leads; the Joint List has ruled out joining but offered to help put him in office from the outside. Eisenkot has refused to bring either into government unless they meet conditions including recognising Hamas as a "terrorist organisation". Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas, whose party joined an anti-Netanyahu coalition in 2021 and became the first party representing Palestinians to enter government in Israel, has expressed support for disarming Hamas but declined to label it a "terror" group.

Israeli law would still allow Eisenkot to become prime minister with fewer than 61 seats if his proposed government won a confidence vote, which the two parties could help him secure. He could form a minority government in the meantime and later seek a majority by luring the two ultra-Orthodox parties with concessions on the conscription issue. United Torah Judaism has signalled its support was available for a price, while Shas endorsed Netanyahu on Wednesday.

Some of Eisenkot's allies have opposed any reliance on Palestinian lawmakers, and Netanyahu's Likud has warned that cooperating with the Arab-led parties would be "dangerous to Israel". Ahmad Tibi, a senior Joint List member, told The Associated Press that rejecting a partnership would prove Israel is "an ethnocracy, not an absolute democracy for all citizens".

The Joint List said its unanimous backing for Eisenkot answered a "public demand" to stop Netanyahu and his government returning to power, and that its support did not mean dropping its reservations about an opposition that had not shown readiness to confront Netanyahu's approach or incitement against Palestinian citizens of Israel. In return for outside support, the Arab-led parties are seeking guarantees for Palestinian citizens, including an end to house demolitions and incitement, action against crime and a political horizon for Palestinians. Tibi said he had no illusions that this would end Israel's wars or bring a Palestinian state, but that a "repair government" would improve Palestinian citizens' lives, potentially by tackling violent crime in their communities. Abbas has said ending the government of Netanyahu and far-right figures such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is a priority.

A unity government with the two men rotating as prime minister and excluding the Arab-led parties is another option, but many Netanyahu rivals have ruled out serving under him, and Netanyahu would need to lure an opposition party to his side. The nominee chosen on Sunday will have 28 days to form a coalition, extendable by 14 more; if that nominee fails, a second gets 28 days, and if the second nominee fails, a parliament majority can back a third candidate for a final 14 days. If no government is formed, the Knesset will be dissolved and a new election called within 90 days, with Netanyahu staying on as caretaker prime minister. Nehru Jamhour, an analyst of Israeli affairs, told Al Jazeera that a drawn-out impasse was the likeliest outcome and Netanyahu's preferred one, with Netanyahu hoping a repeat election could weaken his rivals and depress turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel.