Netanyahu faces fight to stay in power as rivals line up behind Eisenkot

Key Points:

• Israeli President Isaac Herzog will consult all elected Knesset party leaders to decide who will form the next government, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc holding 53 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority.
• Netanyahu opposes forming a government dependent on the Arab parties Ra'am and the Joint List, which together hold 19 seats and could act as kingmakers, while those parties are likely to back opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot.
• Eisenkot faces challenges forming a coalition due to internal opposition disagreements, especially from Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman, who oppose reliance on Arab parties, making a minority government or national unity government potential but complicated options.
• Netanyahu has secured endorsements from right-wing parties Religious Zionism-Zehut, Otzma Yehudit, and Shas, but the opposition bloc's majority backing of Eisenkot may influence Herzog’s decision, who is expected to task the candidate with majority support.
• Experts suggest a national unity government with power-sharing arrangements, similar to Israel’s 1984-1988 precedent, could be a solution, but would require compromises on judicial reforms, investigations, and Netanyahu’s eventual departure from office.