Jerusalem [Israel], November 11 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a fierce attack on political opponents over potential moves to assemble a ruling coalition, declaring it "shameful" and "forbidden" to form a "dangerous government" reliant on Arab-majority parties Ra'am and the Joint List, whom he labelled "terror supporters."
Taking to social media platform X, the Likud party leader said, "Shame! It is forbidden to form a dangerous government with the terror supporters of Ra’am and the Joint List!"
Netanyahu's remarks follow the October 27 elections for Israel's 120-member legislature, which resulted in a hung parliament after neither major coalition secured the 61 seats required for an absolute majority, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud-led faction with 53 seats and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar alliance with 48 seats.
Despite Netanyahu's faction securing the larger numerical tally, Eisenkot successfully gathered recommendations from representatives commanding 67 parliamentary seats, compared with 46 for Netanyahu. This total included crucial backing from the assembly's Arab factions, specifically the Joint List and Ra'am, whose combined 19 seats enabled Eisenkot to formally receive the mandate to form the government from President Isaac Herzog on Sunday, November 8.
Following the formal commissioning by President Herzog, Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar-led bloc has received the mandate to form the government, initiating an intensive effort to secure parliamentary confidence.
According to a report in the Tel Aviv-based newspaper Haaretz, Eisenkot has been granted an initial period of 28 days to form Israel's next administration, setting in motion a compressed timeline to secure the votes needed to win the Knesset's confidence.
Under statutory provisions cited in the publication, if Eisenkot is unable to present a government for a Knesset confidence vote by December 6, the head of state has the discretion to grant a 14-day extension if there are indications of progress towards an agreement, extending the deadline to December 20.
Gadi Eisenkot’s endorsements (67 seats) comprise of Jewish-led opposition bloc, 48 seats (Yashar, Together, The Democrats, Yisrael Beiteinu); the Ra'am party: 8 seats; and the Joint List: 11 seats.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s endorsements (46 seats), down from his right-wing bloc's total election tally of 53 seats after UTJ withheld its endorsement with abstentions (7 seats).