Israeli Arab parties back Eisenkot, deepening Netanyahu's coalition crisis

Israeli Arab parties have consolidated support behind opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, significantly boosting his chances of forming the next government and threatening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hold on power. The Joint List, Israel's largest Arab political alliance, announced it will formally recommend Eisenkot for the premiership. The Joint List, which holds 11 parliamentary seats, said its decision was unanimous and driven by public demand to prevent Netanyahu from extending his rule. The alliance also indicated it would support a minority government from outside the cabinet, though it warned against backing a coalition that could quickly collapse. With backing from Arab parties, including the Islamist Ra'am party, Eisenkot has secured recommendations from 67 of 120 parliament members. Netanyahu faces a crisis as ultra-Orthodox parties have declined to endorse him, reportedly due to his failure to prevent military draft exemptions for yeshiva students.