Tel Aviv Rally Urges Eisenkot to Govern With Arab Parties
Thousands rallied in Tel Aviv urging opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to strike a deal with Arab-led parties to remove Benjamin Netanyahu. With all votes counted, Mr Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats and Mr Eisenkot’s 48 — both short of the 61 needed — while Arab-led parties won a record 19. Together, Eisenkot and the Arab parties would command 67.
Mr Eisenkot has said neither Arab-led party meets his conditions for partnership, and most of his bloc rejects relying on them. Likud has claimed, without evidence, that the Arab parties “stole” the vote with foreign help; Qatar calls the allegations “ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure”. Results are due to be certified and handed to President Herzog on Wednesday, and the new Knesset is sworn in on 10 November. Herzog then names the leader most likely to form a majority, with 28 days to try, extendable by 14. Failure means fresh elections with Mr Netanyahu as caretaker — which, with Iran talks unresolved, is the outcome markets fear: Tel Aviv’s benchmark index fell 4.1% on the week.