Israel: Eisenkot may accommodate Netanyahu in government

Nov. 8: Amidst conjectures and uncertainties abouot the formation of a cabinet in Israel, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot said he is open to including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the contemplated cabinet.

So far, most of the parties, mainly the Arab bloc parties, have rallied to support Eisenkot in forming a government, mainly to avert a goverenment headed by Netanyahu.

Eisenkot, who has been given 28 days, plus another two weeks if that does not produce any result, to form a ministry by President Isaac Herzog, has also suggested far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich would be welcome to join.

"If members of Likud and the Religious Zionist Party truly believe this is a time for unity, as they told the president, I cannot conceive of any reason why they would not support a government under my leadership and the principles I have presented," Eisenkot said.

Eisenkot said he would represent all segments of Israeli society.

Meanwhile, Herzog mentioned the uncertinties faced by Israel following the US midterm elections last week in which several candidates disapproving Israel's military actions against Palestinianswon seats in both chambers of the US Congress. Many of them are critical of America's military support to Israel too, and that may put a brake on Washington's patronage of Israel.

"The State of Israel needs a stable government," Herzog said, citing a "new political reality" in the U.S.

Eisenkot was the head of the Israeli military from 2015 to 2019 and also acted as an observer in Netanyahu's war cabinet for the first eight months of the country's war on Gaza after the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023.

Despite such involvement, Arab parties have lent their support to Eisenkot arguably due to their insistence on preventing Netanyahu from leading a government.  It is not yet clear however, how the Arab parties would view Netanyahu's presence in the cabinet,  even if not as its head. 

Eisenkot's alliance of four parties won 48 seats in parliament, while Netanyah's right-wing and religious bloc 53 seats. That leaves Eisenkot's alliance having to bank on the Arab bloc with its 19 seats, thus bringing the possible  total to 67 seats.

There are reports however that within the maneuvering time allowed to him Eisenkot would rather go without Arab parties' support and take the endorsement of two ultra-religious parties,  United Torah Judaism and Shas.