-Former military chief has a few pathways to power
-Eisenkot has 28 days to try to form government with potential for 14-day extension
-He is son of Moroccan immigrants
Nov 7 (Reuters) - Israel's president on Saturday chose Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest rival, to try to form a new government following a deadlocked election that left neither man with a clear path to power.
Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, is fighting to stay in office after his religious-nationalist coalition lost its majority in an October 27 election but still emerged as the largest bloc in parliament.
Eisenkot, a former military chief, has declined to join forces with Arab parties, with whose support he would have a majority of seats in parliament. But Arab leaders, incensed by what they view as the racist policies of Netanyahu and his far-right allies, still nominated Eisenkot to try to form a government first — giving him the most endorsements.
"President Herzog has invited Gadi Eisenkot to the President’s Residence, where he will be tasked with forming the government tomorrow," said the spokesperson of President Isaac Herzog, whose largely ceremonial role involves nominating a candidate to form a coalition after elections.
I'd be careful referring to the Arab parties as Palestinian. You're assumption is correct, but backwards. Bibi uses that term to disenfranchise them, saying "they don't believe in Israel, so they shouldn't count". Most of the Arab parties get a lot of support from non-Palestinian Arab Israelis. Eroding that identity is a great way to silence their votes, especially at a time when they could make the difference between continued genocide and progress towards coexistence. Netanhayu would like nothing more than to convince the world that the Arab parties are "just Palestinian". Of note is that Ra'am doesn't even support the dissolution of the state of Israel, but instead formalization of a two-state solution.