Joint List backs Eisenkot, giving him 67 recommendations

The Joint List unanimously recommended Gadi Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog to form Israel’s next government, bringing the opposition leader’s total to 67 lawmakers’ recommendations, compared with 46 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The 67 recommendations exceed the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority, but they do not establish a governing coalition or guarantee Eisenkot can win parliamentary confidence. Herzog is conducting consultations with parties before deciding which lawmaker to ask to form a government. The Joint List, an alliance of three Arab-led factions, said its decision was intended to prevent Netanyahu and his government from returning to power. Its 11 lawmakers joined eight from Raam, which had already recommended Eisenkot. The two parties hold 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The Joint List also voiced reservations about Eisenkot and his opposition bloc, saying they had not shown sufficient willingness to confront Netanyahu’s policies or address incitement against Arab citizens. The alliance said its recommendation did not commit it to joining a coalition; representatives described the possibility of supporting a government from outside it....