Eisenkot Defends Israel's Arab Minority Amid Attacks from Right-Wing Leaders

Israeli Prime Ministerial hopeful Gadi Eisenkot urged the country to respect its Arab minority on Friday, November 13, 2026. His statement came after caretaker Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and other right-wing figures tried to delegitimise Arab lawmakers by linking them to Hamas. Two Arab-majority parties, Raam and the Joint List, won 19 seats together in last month's election. This total gives them nearly a sixth of the 120-seat parliament and positions them as potential kingmakers in government formation efforts. Mr. Eisenkot wrote on X that Arab citizens are an integral part of the Israeli story. He stated that attempts to marginalise and collectively vilify them violate civic responsibility and dishonour the Declaration of Independence and the values of a Jewish and democratic state. Mr. Netanyahu and his allies have criticised Arab party leaders for not describing Hamas as a terror group after the October 7, 2023 attack. Arab party leaders have condemned that attack, which also killed Arab Israelis who form more than 20 percent of the population and are descendants of Palestinians who remained in 1948. Mr. Netanyahu also alleged electoral fraud, which electoral authorities rejected, and claimed Arab lists want to set up an Islamic or Palestinian state while refusing to recognise Israel as a Jewish state, though Raam leader Mansour Abbas has done so before. During a parliament inauguration this week, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir heckled Joint List leader Youssef Jabareen during his oath, accusing him of pledging allegiance to Hamas. Mr. Eisenkot maintained that while disagreeing with Arab representatives is legitimate, maligning an entire community is not. President Isaac Herzog tasked Mr. Eisenkot with forming a government on Sunday, November 8, 2026, after a majority of parties, including the two Arab lists, recommended him. However, right-wing ally Avigdor Liberman stated he will leave the coalition if Israeli-Arabs are part of it. Mr. Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension before the mandate could pass to Mr. Netanyahu.

Context

Coalition building in parliamentary systems often requires diverse parties to work together to reach a majority of seats, which can give smaller factions significant leverage. Minority representation remains a central point of debate in Israeli politics, especially during periods of government formation following closely contested elections. Security concerns and national identity frequently shape political alliances and public disputes among party leaders.