Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot on Thursday secured the backing of parties representing 67 lawmakers in the 120-member Knesset, crossing the parliamentary majority threshold in recommendations for the prime minister's post, while incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu was left with 46 endorsements after a key ultra-Orthodox ally declined to support him.
The development came as President Isaac Herzog continued consultations with political parties following the October 27 parliamentary elections to determine which candidate should receive the mandate to form Israel's next government.
Eisenkot, who heads the Yashar party, strengthened his position after the Arab-led Joint List announced that its 11 lawmakers would recommend him for the premiership.
The decision followed a similar announcement by the United Arab List, commonly known as Ra'am, which holds eight seats.
Together, the endorsements from the two Arab-led parties increased the number of lawmakers recommending Eisenkot from 48 to 67, six above the 61-member majority mark.
However, the recommendations do not automatically translate into a governing coalition, as several parties backing Eisenkot's candidature have expressed reservations about participating in or supporting a government dependent on Arab parties.
𝗨𝗧𝗝 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁
Netanyahu suffered a significant setback after United Torah Judaism (UTJ), a longtime coalition partner, announced that it would not recommend any candidate for prime minister.
The seven-member ultra-Orthodox alliance conveyed its decision during consultations with Herzog on Thursday.
The decision reduced Netanyahu's recommendations from a potential 53 to 46, widening the gap between the incumbent premier and Eisenkot.
UTJ comprises two factions — Degel HaTorah, which holds four seats, and Agudat Yisrael, which has three.
Representatives of both factions said their respective religious leaders had instructed them not to endorse any candidate at this stage.
The party, however, left open the possibility of supporting a future government that addressed its demands, particularly legislation concerning military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious students.
The issue has remained a major source of disagreement between ultra-Orthodox parties and other political groups.
UTJ's decision marked a departure from its longstanding political alignment with Netanyahu, although the party has not formally committed to supporting Eisenkot.
Another ultra-Orthodox party, Shas, had earlier recommended Netanyahu for the mandate.
𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗘𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗸𝗼𝘁
The Joint List said its decision to recommend Eisenkot was aimed at preventing Netanyahu and his allies from returning to power.
The alliance, which secured 11 seats in the election, said its constituent factions had unanimously agreed to support Eisenkot's candidature during the presidential consultations.
"Although Eisenkot has received more recommendations than Netanyahu, we believe it is important to widen the gap between them," the Joint List said.
The alliance also criticised what it described as insufficient willingness among opposition parties to confront policies affecting Arab citizens.
Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas, had separately announced that its eight lawmakers would recommend Eisenkot.
The two Arab-led parties together hold 19 seats, making their endorsements significant in the process of selecting a candidate to form the government.
However, both parties have indicated that their willingness to recommend Eisenkot does not necessarily mean they would formally join his coalition.
Arab political representatives have expressed openness to providing parliamentary support from outside a government, subject to agreements addressing the concerns of Arab citizens.
These include measures relating to crime, home demolitions and political representation.
𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻
Despite securing 67 recommendations, Eisenkot faces considerable challenges in assembling a stable governing coalition.
His Jewish-led opposition bloc holds 48 seats, leaving it short of the 61 required for a parliamentary majority without additional support.
The bloc includes Yashar, led by Eisenkot, B'Yachad under former prime minister Naftali Bennett, the Democrats led by Yair Golan and Yisrael Beytenu headed by Avigdor Lieberman.
While these parties have supported Eisenkot's candidature, differences remain over the composition of a future government.
Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu has opposed forming a government dependent on Arab parties.
Eisenkot has also spoken of establishing a government based on Zionist parties, leaving questions about how he would secure sufficient parliamentary support.
The possibility of cooperation with ultra-Orthodox parties presents another challenge because of disagreements over compulsory military service for religious students.
Consequently, the number of presidential recommendations does not guarantee that Eisenkot can obtain the parliamentary confidence necessary to govern.
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝘇𝗼𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹
Under Israel's parliamentary system, the president consults parties represented in the Knesset before selecting the lawmaker considered most capable of forming a government.
Herzog is not legally required to choose the candidate receiving the highest number of recommendations.
Instead, he must assess which contender has the best prospect of assembling a coalition capable of commanding parliamentary support.
The president is expected to make his decision by November 11.
The candidate receiving the mandate will have 28 days to form a government, with the possibility of an additional 14-day extension.
If the selected candidate fails, the process can move to another contender under the provisions governing coalition formation.
Netanyahu's Likud emerged as the largest individual party in the October 27 election, winning 27 seats, but the wider bloc associated with him secured only 53.
With UTJ withholding its endorsement, Netanyahu's immediate support in the presidential consultations stands at 46 lawmakers.
The outcome has left Israel facing complex coalition negotiations despite Eisenkot's numerical advantage in recommendations.
Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed or another election becomes necessary.
The next stage will depend on Herzog's decision and whether the candidate receiving the mandate can turn the recommendations into a workable parliamentary majority.