Netanyahu's grip slips as rivals gain ground

Though Netanyahu outperformed expectations and his Likud Party won the most seats with 27, his wider nationalist-religious bloc garnered only 53 seats, losing its governing majority. That was still better than Eisenkot’s anti-Netanyahu coalition spanning four centre-left to right-wing Jewish-led parties, which won 48 seats.

Two parties representing Israel’s Arab minority won an unprecedented 19 seats on the back of anger over Netanyahu’s hard-right government. Both Arab lists endorsed Eisenkot on Thursday, giving him backing from a comfortable majority of lawmakers.

The Joint List, which bagged 11 seats, said in a statement that “it will inform the President of the State, Isaac Herzog, this evening of its decision to recommend that Gadi Eisenkot be tasked with forming the government”. Raam, which won eight seats, also endorsed Eisenkot.

Herzog traditionally gives the mandate to the person recommended by more parties, making it likely he will ask Eisenkot. While the Arab lists are potential kingmakers, Eisenkot, like Netanyahu, has so far ruled out forming a government with them.

Relying on their numbers would risk losing support from some in the opposition, notably Avigdor Liberman, a former Netanyahu aide turned outspoken critic who shares hawkish views on the Palestinians.

In a setback for Netanyahu, United Torah Judaism, an ultra-Orthodox party that backed him after the previous five elections, declined to recommend him again, although it also did not side with Eisenkot.

The party informed Herzog “that it has decided not to recommend any member of Knesset to form a government”, the president’s office said, referring to the parliament in which the party won seven seats. “In whatever government is next formed, our immediate item is sorting out the status of Torah students,” United Torah Judaism lawmaker Isaac Pindrus said.

Once Herzog gives his mandate, that lawmaker will have 28 days to form a government, with a potential 14-day extension. Netanyahu remains prime minister in a caretaker government until a new coalition is formed.