Mansour Abbas ready to join an Eisenkot-led government

United Arab List (Ra'am) leader Mansour Abbas said on Tuesday night he is ready to join an Israeli government led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's main rival.

Mansour Abbas is one of the most prominent Arab politicians in Israel; in 2021 his list joined the coalition led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, the first time an independent Arab party had done so.

His stance matters given the close results, as the opposition may need Arab party votes to reach the required Knesset majority.

Arab party participation in government nonetheless remains contentious for some centre and right-wing parties, making it part of the difficult negotiations ahead.