Principles Meet Reality as Israel’s Eisenkot Weighs Alliance With Arab Parties

Arab parties that nearly doubled their numbers in Israel’s Knesset could be potential kingmakers in the formation of a new government after Yashar, or “Straight,” party leader Gadi Eisenkot announced he is reconsidering his ban on inviting Arab parties to join his coalition.Mr. Eisenkot’s coalition, known as the change bloc, secured 48 seats in last week’s national legislative election while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his partners earned 53. Both fell short of the 61 needed for majority rule in the 120-strong Knesset.Mr. Eisenkot had previously said he would not form a coalition government with the Arab parties, which earned 19 seats in last week’s election, nearly twice the seats they held in the Knesset wrapping up its current term. Accusations of Turkey and Qatar bribing Israeli Arabs to go to the polls have gained little traction as Israel’s election chief, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, ordered three Arab political activists suspected of handing out bribes to be released.After nearly a week of weighing different iterations, Mr. Eisenkot, a former IDF chief, placed four conditions on joining an alliance with any partners: recognition of Israel as a Jewish, democratic, liberal, and egalitarian state; commitment to the values of the country’s 1948 declaration of independence; mandatory service for all Israeli citizens, including exempted ultra-Orthodox Haredis; and “recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization and the obligation to destroy its military-political power in the Gaza Strip.”Saying that the majority of Israelis voted against Mr. Netanyahu’s leadership, Mr. Eisenkot on Saturday night announced he intends to form a “broad Zionist and state-like government” in coordination with any Knesset members “willing to sign on to these principles.” “The door of the government we will form will be open to every public representative who accepts these principles and is ready to rise to the occasion,” he said. The election is to be certified on Wednesday per the orders of President Isaac Herzog. On Sunday, B’Yachad, or “Together” leader Naftali Bennett announced he will back Mr. Eisenkot as leader of a change government. Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas, who previously led an Arab minority party in a coalition government and whose party won seven seats in the election, left open the door for a potential agreement, but he has not committed to calling Hamas a terror organization, a violation of Mr. Eisenkot’s principles. He told Israel’s i24 news last week that he first wants to see if a coalition can be formed before deliberating on a revised stance on Hamas.On Sunday, another Arab senior leader, Ahmad Tibi, said his 12 elected members on the Joint List are considering working with Mr. Eisenkot as well because it’s a better option than leaving Mr. Netanyahu in charge. However, his party has also not condemned Hamas or October 7.“Our first, second, and third priority is to bring down the Netanyahu government. We realize that we must make tough decisions,” Mr. Tibi reportedly told Saudi Al-Hadath TV.Cooperation among Mr. Eisenkot and Arab parties could create a troubling course of events for Mr. Netanyahu, who reportedly wants a do-over of the election. Sources speaking to pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 television in Israel said Sunday that Mr. Netanhayu wants a new vote after weighing potential alliances with Mr. Bennett’s faction and Yisrael Beytanu or “Israel is Our Home” leader Avigdor Liberman. The consideration follows Mr. Eisenkot reportedly refusing to join a unity government that would keep Mr. Netanyahu in charge. America’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called Mr. Eisenkot’s reversal an unexpected choice, though politicians often “renege” on stands they take during election season.“I can’t even begin to tell you how unacceptable and just completely reckless it would be for someone to say, ‘I’d like to help lead the country, but I think the slaughter of 1,200 people on October 7th was something that, Well, I just don’t want to take a position on it,’” Mr. Huckabee told Newsmax on Saturday evening. “That’s going to be troubling, and it would be troubling for anyone to include them if that’s going to be their position in a government.”The staunchly rightwing Mr. Eisenkot said in his remarks that he does not believe the “war against our enemies” is over. He said that he would support any decisions Mr. Netanyahu’s government makes “if there are direct and immediate threats against Israel” until a new government is sworn in.

Principles Meet Reality as Israel’s Eisenkot Weighs Alliance With Arab Parties

Principles Meet Reality as Israel’s Eisenkot Weighs Alliance With Arab Parties

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