JERUSALEM — Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief who leads the Yashar party, issued a statement on Saturday night laying out four conditions any partner must meet to join a government under him — his first direct approach to Israel's Arab parties, whose combined 19 seats could pave the way for him to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 'Every Knesset member who is willing to sign on to these principles is a potential partner on the path to establishing a new and better government for Israel,' he said. 'The door to the government we will form will be open to every public representative who accepts these principles and is ready to rise to the occasion.'

The four conditions, as reported by The Jerusalem Post, are that a partner must: recognise Israel as a Jewish state and commit to the principles of its independence; recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation that must be destroyed; accept Israel's governing authority over Gaza; and support mandatory military service. During the campaign Eisenkot promised voters he would end Hamas's rule in Gaza within 18 months if he became prime minister — a pledge that could sit uneasily with a government resting on Arab party support, which would be unlikely to agree to another war in Gaza.

Source: The Jerusalem Post, Nov 1

Arab parties prepare to recommend Eisenkot

The negotiations gained momentum on Sunday, November 1, as the Joint List and Ra'am prepared to recommend Eisenkot for prime minister during consultations with President Isaac Herzog, according to The Jerusalem Post, which cited a senior Joint List official confirming that both groups were expected to endorse him. Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas said on Friday that he was coordinating with other Arab leaders on 'the prospects for forming a government to replace the one led by Netanyahu.' Democratic Party chairman Yair Golan, who has openly supported a government including Arab parties, has spoken with Joint List figures Yousef Jabareen and Ahmad Tibi and plans further talks, the Post reported.

Two obstacles appeared within hours. Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beitenu party (seven seats) sits inside Eisenkot's bloc, has vowed not to join a government based on support from the Arab parties; if his lawmakers vote against such a government alongside Netanyahu's bloc, Eisenkot would fall one seat short of the 61 needed. And Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen, pressed on Channel 12 on Saturday night to label Hamas a terrorist organisation — one of Eisenkot's four principles — refused: 'I'm not in an interrogation room,' he said. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared an excerpt of the interview and denounced the prospect of a government with the Arab parties. The Joint List has condemned the October 7 massacre, and attributed the high turnout in the Arab sector to what it called Ben-Gvir's incitement against it.

Herzog: come 'with an open heart' — Netanyahu: 'forbidden'

President Isaac Herzog, who will decide who gets the first mandate to form a government, urged the parties on Sunday to enter negotiations 'with an open heart.' 'I hope the representatives will come with an open mind, and today I add: with an open heart,' Herzog said in a statement reported by NBC News. 'Come to listen and to be heard, to share ideas, and to find creative solutions to prevent another round of elections.' He also pushed leaders to accept the result: 'The elections are over. The election results are a fact. They are a reality.' Netanyahu, who remains caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed, said on Sunday on X that it was 'forbidden' to form a government with Ra'am's Mansour Abbas, claiming Abbas wants a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and the evacuation of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, citing an old Ra'am policy platform.

Source: NBC News via Usa News, Nov 1

Netanyahu has claimed, without providing evidence, that the Arab parties used foreign backing to 'steal' the election. Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency has said it is investigating possible foreign interference in the election, but that the probe was not intended to 'cast aspersions' on any specific group; Arab party leaders have strongly denied any wrongdoing, NBC News reported.

Eisenkot's Sunday vow, and a plan B that avoids the Arab parties

In a formal announcement reported by ANI on Sunday, Eisenkot vowed to use the new Knesset's majority swiftly, saying that 'a majority of Israeli citizens, by a margin of more than half a million votes, voted against the government of October 7 and draft evasion, and in favour of change.' He committed to advancing a state commission of inquiry into the security lapses around the Hamas-led October 7 onslaught, universal conscription, and dismantling the outgoing cabinet's judicial restructuring measures. Amid reports suggesting Netanyahu might initiate a war with Iran to cling to power, Eisenkot cautioned that until a new government takes office he will endorse military operations 'only in cases involving direct and immediate threats against Israel that cannot wait.' Opposition parties are also reportedly examining legislation for direct elections for prime minister, which could let a minority government form without Arab backing, according to The Times of Israel — but that would require amending the Basic Law: The Government with at least 61 votes.

Source: ANI, Nov 1

What happens next is set by the calendar ANI reported: the final certified results are to be formally submitted to Herzog on November 4, he holds consultations with party leaders on Wednesday, and the newly elected Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on November 10. Whoever Herzog picks first gets 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension; if that fails, another candidate gets 28 days. Analysts are split: Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics told NBC News the conditions effectively ask the Arab parties to 'forsake their identity' and predicted deadlock, while Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House saw flexibility, noting that parties routinely break at least some pre-election promises after a vote.