Joint List backs Eisenkot for government
The gist
The Arab-led Joint List recommended Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister, bringing his backers to 67 of 120 Knesset seats.
Eisenkot still needs Arab parties he does not want as partners, so a deal may hinge on abstention.
How it unfolded
- Oct 12, 2026Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen said in a video statement that after the election the alliance would give a parliamentary safety net to any government seeking to oust Netanyahu.
- Oct 27, 2026Netanyahu's right-wing bloc won 53 seats, the opposition alliance led by Eisenkot won 48, and Arab-led parties took a record 19 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
- Nov 1, 2026Demonstrators rallied outside Eisenkot's residence in Herzliya against the formation of a Jewish-Arab government.
Key terms
- Knesset
- The unicameral legislature of Israel, with 120 seats.
- abstention
- In voting, the act of not casting a ballot, either by staying away or by being present but not voting.
- right-wing bloc
- In Israeli politics, an informal coalition of nationalist, right-wing and religious conservative parties, usually led by Likud.
Source: Wikipedia