Eisenkot holds 67 endorsements, but only with Arab parties he has ruled out

Gadi Eisenkot has recommendations from 67 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset, according to a report of the post-election consultations with President Isaac Herzog. That is well above the 61 needed. Yet the figure rests on the Joint List's 11 seats and Ra'am's 8, and Eisenkot has ruled out bringing Arab parties into a government. The October 27 election left neither side with a majority. Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats and the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot won 48. Likud is the largest party with 27 seats, ahead of Eisenkot's Yashar with 21. Netanyahu's own endorsement tally reportedly shrank to 46 after United Torah Judaism abstained. This is why a sworn-in government by November 30 looks the less likely outcome. Herzog is due to name a candidate on Sunday, November 8, but that only starts the process of building a coalition. Eisenkot's 48-seat Jewish-led bloc is short of 61 without the Arab parties. Netanyahu is further short. There are some signs of movement. Avigdor Liberman has said he will compromise on the haredi draft law, and UTJ's chairman welcomed the flexibility shown by all sides. That could ease one dispute, but the supplied reporting does not show a coalition deal close to done. The window is only about three weeks. The thing to watch is whom Herzog tasks on Sunday, and whether Eisenkot finds a route to 61 that avoids the Arab parties he has excluded.