Ra’am Backs Opposition Leader Eisenkot to Form New Israeli Government

(MENAFN) Israel's Arab political party Ra’am has formally endorsed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot as its preferred candidate to establish the country's next government, according to reports on Thursday.

Party representatives, including Chairman Mansour Abbas, Yoav Seglovitz and Iman Khatib Yasin, reportedly submitted their recommendation to President Isaac Herzog, calling for Eisenkot to receive the mandate to form a new administration.

Ra’am secured eight seats in the 120-member Knesset during last week's parliamentary elections.

The endorsement raises the total number of lawmakers supporting Eisenkot's nomination to 56. This includes 48 representatives from Jewish opposition parties and all eight members of Ra’am. Meanwhile, the Arab-led Joint List has not yet declared which candidate it intends to support.

In contrast, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu currently has the expected backing of 46 lawmakers after his political partner, United Torah Judaism, refused to recommend him. Despite holding seven parliamentary seats, the party announced that it would not endorse any candidate for the premiership.

Under Israel's parliamentary system, a candidate must secure the support of at least 61 members of the Knesset to obtain a majority and form a government.

President Herzog is expected to appoint a lawmaker to lead the government formation process within the coming days. The individual selected will initially have 28 days to assemble a governing coalition, with the possibility of receiving an additional 14-day extension.

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