Israeli Opposition Leader Gains Arab Party Support for Premiership

Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz has secured the support of Arab parties to become the country's next prime minister, following a parliamentary vote. President Isaac Herzog confirmed that parties representing 67 lawmakers support Gantz, while current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backing from 46 legislators. Herzog will hold further consultations before making a final decision on Sunday. The Arab parties, including Ra'am and the Joint List, have conditions for their support. Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas called for Hamas to be disarmed and removed from power, while the Joint List's Ahmad Tibi said his party may support a minority government from outside the coalition.