The key facts

  • The United Arab List officially recommended Gideon Eisencoth to form the government of Israel
  • With the recommendation, Eisencoth received the support of 67 of 120 Knesset members
  • The party declared its readiness to support an alternative government outside the coalition

An Arab party's recommendation changed the balance in the Knesset

The United Arab List has officially recommended opposition leader Gideon Eisencoth to form the government of Israel, the Anadolu outlet reported. With this recommendation, Eisencoth received the backing of a majority of the members of the 120-seat Knesset — 67 mandates in total.

What this means in practice

The party said it was ready to support an alternative government formed outside the current coalition. Formally, the recommendations of a majority of Knesset members are a necessary step for a candidate to receive the mandate to form a cabinet, so the United Arab List's support directly affected the count: without it, Eisencoth would have had less than half of the 120 seats.