Netanyahu Eyes Unity Pact with Rival Eizenkot as Fears Grow Over Arab Parties

Israel has plunged into deep political uncertainty following inconclusive national elections on October 27, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to explore an alliance with opposition leader and former IDF chief Gadi Eizenkot. Reports from Israeli broadcaster i24 News reveal that the longtime premier is attempting to broker a national unity framework out of immediate concern that Eizenkot could assemble an alternative governing coalition backed by Arab parliamentary factions. With neither traditional bloc crossing the vital 61-seat threshold in the 120-member Knesset, intense negotiations are underway as President Isaac Herzog prepares to consult party factions to determine who will receive the first mandate to build a government.Three Avenues for Survival: Netanyahu Weighs Majority Hunt, Coalition Pact, or Minority RuleThe final election tallies deliver a razor-thin legislative map: Netanyahu's right-wing bloc controls 53 seats, Eizenkot's opposition alliance holds 48 seats, and Arab-led parties command 19 seats. To avert a historic loss of executive control, Netanyahu faces three tactical scenarios to retain power. His primary approach involves wooing defectors or smaller party factions from the opposition’s 48 lawmakers to cross the floor and patch together a bare 61-seat majority. Alternatively, he is pursuing a broad national unity government alongside Eizenkot, which would preserve his premiership while providing the opposition significant cabinet portfolios. If those negotiations stall, Netanyahu’s final option rests on establishing a fragile minority administration that relies on selective outside support and abstentions during key floor confidence votes.Eizenkot's Strategic Pivot: Arab Party Endorsements Versus Religious Jewish FactionsOn the opposite side of the aisle, Eizenkot finds himself holding significant leverage with distinct pathways to form an administration. Arab political groupings, including the Joint List and Ra'am, formally declared their readiness on Sunday to back Eizenkot, potentially unlocking a commanding 67-seat coalition—six seats above the required governing majority. However, leaning on Arab parties carries immense domestic political sensitivity, prompting Eizenkot to simultaneously sound out ultra-Orthodox religious factions like United Torah Judaism (UTJ) in hopes of building an alternative Jewish majority that bypasses external Arab dependence entirely, though no public commitment has yet been extended by his camp.High-Stakes Showdown Over the Speaker's Gavel and the Threat of Repeat PollsBefore any cabinet can be sworn in, the opposition coalition's opening strategy focuses on replacing current Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a move designed to wrest control over parliamentary scheduling and clear the path for an independent state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023 security lapses. The speaker's position is critical because once elected, removing an incumbent demands a supermajority of 90 lawmakers. If neither Netanyahu nor Eizenkot can secure a firm 61-seat commitment, President Herzog's formal consultations could hit a dead end, raising the real prospect that Israeli voters could be sent back to the voting booths for another round of snap elections.