Israel polls: Opposition, Arab parties join forces to oust Netanyahu

Tel Aviv: Israeli opposition parties have rallied behind Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot as their candidate to form the next government, seeking to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from securing another term, according to reports.

The parties plan to recommend Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog during consultations on Wednesday and Thursday, following last week's election that left no bloc with a parliamentary majority.

Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats, while opposition parties secured 48 and Arab-led parties 19 in the 120-member Knesset. With the backing of all opposition and Arab parties, Eisenkot could potentially receive recommendations from 67 lawmakers.

Yair Golan's The Democrats, former prime minister Naftali Bennett's Together party and Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu have announced their support for Eisenkot. The Joint List and Mansour Abbas's United Arab List (Ra'am) are also expected to recommend him, strengthening efforts to replace Netanyahu.

However, the numbers do not guarantee a governing coalition. The Arab parties' expected support does not amount to an agreement to join the government, while Lieberman has opposed a minority administration dependent on Arab lawmakers.

Lieberman has nevertheless agreed to recommend Eisenkot to Herzog. His position highlights the difficulties facing the opposition in turning its combined parliamentary strength into a stable government.

Herzog is not required to nominate the leader of the largest party. He can assign the task to any lawmaker considered capable of securing the Knesset's confidence. The nominee will have 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension.

The new Knesset is expected to convene on November 10. Unless the rival camps bridge their differences or secure additional support, Israel could face another election.