Israel's Main Arab List Says It Will Back Gadi Eisenkot To Form New Government

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Israel's largest Arab party grouping, the Joint List, said Thursday it would recommend opposition bloc leader Gadi Eisenkot for the formation of a new government after last week's election.

"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 list said in a statement.

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Arab-majority lists won an unprecedented 19 parliamentary seats in the election out of 120, making them potential kingmakers in Israel's next government.

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Herzog holds consultations

Eisenkot emerged 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.

President Isaac Herzog was holding a second day of consultations with political parties after the October 27 election, in which neither Netanyahu -- a polarising right-winger who has led Israel through three years of war -- nor Eisenkot -- a former military chief promising to restore national unity -- secured enough votes for a majority.

Herzog will choose by 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 Eisenkot.

The opposition leader also received a recommendation from a key lawmaker from the Israeli-Arab minority, whose seats in parliament soared due to outrage over Netanyahu's policies.

United Torah Judaism, which backed Netanyahu after the previous five elections, in its meeting with Herzog declined to recommend Netanyahu again as prime minister, although it also did not side with Eisenkot.

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