Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Saturday night that a government dependent on

Benjamin Netanyahu warned Saturday night that a government dependent on Islamists would “dissolve Israel from within,” in the same way as in European countries, and “much worse than that,” referencing far-right claims about Islamists taking over Europe. Netanyahu made these remarks Saturday evening, ahead of President Isaac Herzog’s Sunday announcement of whom he will task with forming a government.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has made clear he will not rely on the two Arab parties that would be necessary to reach a parliamentary majority. Both Arab parties, which together won 19 seats in the 120-seat Knesset in their best-ever election result, have said they can support opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot. Herzog has said 67 Knesset members recommend Eisenkot for the task, compared with 46 for Netanyahu. President Isaac Herzog has tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a new government. If Eisenkot succeeds, he will take over as prime minister after Netanyahu.

Arab Parties Hold the Balance of Power

Eisenkot’s coalition won 48 seats, while Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53—neither sufficient to form a government without external support. Since being designated, Eisenkot has likely secured backing from ultra-Orthodox and/or Arab parties, though it remains unclear whether he has support within his own coalition to seek Arab support. Eisenkot, who appealed to secular and liberal Israelis for support during the election campaign, has opened the door to a hitherto unthinkable alliance with ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups. Eisenkot has rejected Netanyahu’s claims of electoral fraud. During the campaign, Eisenkot explicitly stated he did not want to cooperate with the Arab parties.

The potential coalition Netanyahu warned against could include the moderate Islamist party Ra’am, whose leader has recognized Israel as a Jewish state, and build on support from the secular Arab party the United List.

Internal Divisions Over Arab Support

Herzog has underlined that his task is to determine who is capable of forming a government, and the answer remains unclear due to stated opposition to certain parties both inside and outside the blocs. Herzog said the results of the consultations appear clear, and that he will speak with several of the party leaders before Sunday. One or two parties in Eisenkot’s coalition oppose joining a government that relies on Arab party support, while two other parties strongly urge him to do exactly that.

With 67 members pointing to Eisenkot and 46 to Netanyahu, the president must weigh whether the opposition leader can overcome internal resistance to assemble a majority that includes Arab parties—the very scenario Netanyahu has warned would destroy the state.