According to news agency PTI, Arab parties announced their support for Eisenkot during consultations between political parties and President Isaac Herzog on Thursday.
Israel's 120-member parliament requires the support of at least 61 lawmakers to form a government. Arab parties hold 19 seats, and their backing is expected to take Eisenkot's support to 67 lawmakers, six above the majority threshold.
The Ra'am party, led by Mansour Abbas, reiterated its support for a two-state solution and US President Donald Trump's Gaza plan. Abbas also called for the disarmament of all military and armed organisations, including Hamas. Ra'am had previously supported the government led by Naftali Bennett from outside the coalition.
The Joint List, another major Arab political group with 11 seats, has also decided to support Eisenkot. The party described its decision as a choice between a "bad and a very bad option" to remove Netanyahu's government from power.
Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen said the delegation's decision reflected the Arab electorate's demand for political change. He accused the current government of exposing Arab citizens to racism, discrimination, crime and political and social exclusion during its tenure.
"Arab community members voted in large numbers with the hope of change. However, they have disagreements with Eisenkot on several issues," Jabareen said.
These disagreements include Eisenkot's political positions and his alleged failure to take a sufficiently strong stand against inflammatory remarks targeting Arab citizens during the election campaign.
"We are not choosing between good and better, but between a bad option and an even worse one," he said.
Senior Arab lawmaker Ahmad Tibi said the Joint List could support a minority government from outside and act as a "blocking bloc" in parliament. However, the party would not join a government that it believes could collapse shortly after taking office.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu's political camp holds 53 seats, but securing the support of all 53 lawmakers appears highly unlikely.
The prime minister has also suffered a setback within his former ultra-Orthodox allies. Degel HaTorah, a faction of United Torah Judaism holding four of the party's seven seats, has decided not to endorse any candidate for prime minister.
According to The Times of Israel, ultra-Orthodox leaders have distanced themselves from Netanyahu because his government failed to pass legislation exempting Haredi men from compulsory military service.
Netanyahu's Likud party has repeatedly alleged that Arab parties rigged the election with foreign support. However, it has not presented concrete evidence to substantiate these allegations.
Netanyahu and Likud have cited several incidents in support of their claims of alleged electoral irregularities. These include the arrests of three political activists accused of attempting to bribe voters before polling began. The activists are suspected of having links to the Ra'am party, although the party has denied any involvement.
Eisenkot's political rise also carries historical significance. Born in the Israeli city of Tiberias, he would become Israel's first Mizrahi prime minister if elected. Mizrahi Jews trace their origins to the Middle East and North Africa, and the community accounts for nearly half of Israel's population.
Eisenkot began his military career in 1978, when he joined the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) Golani Brigade during compulsory military service. He became commander of the same brigade in 1997 and subsequently held several key positions in the military.
In 2015, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the IDF.
After retiring from military service, Eisenkot entered politics and became a member of the Israeli parliament. Following Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, he also joined Netanyahu's war cabinet.
The conflict in Gaza brought personal tragedy for Eisenkot. His son, Gal, was killed during the fighting in December 2023. He subsequently lost two nephews in the conflict as well.
In September 2025, Eisenkot established his centrist political party, Yashar. The Hebrew word Yashar means "straight", "honest" or "truthful".
As part of his campaign, Eisenkot has pledged that, if elected prime minister, he will eliminate Hamas's military wing and its leadership within 18 months.
The backing of the Arab political groups, combined with divisions within Netanyahu's former allies, has placed Eisenkot in a potentially decisive position. However, the final government formation process will depend on whether he can translate the projected parliamentary support into a stable governing majority.
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