“There’s examples of that happening in the past, and it has not been very stable, but that’s one possibility,” Cook says.
The Joint List has said it would support an alternative government from outside the coalition, but Lieberman has rejected outright a government reliant on outside support from Arab-led parties.
Another possibility, Cook adds, would be if Eisenkot invited the ultra-Orthodox parties, with a combined 13 seats, to join his coalition.
But that would likely be even more difficult, given that the ultra-Orthodox parties oppose compulsory military service for yeshiva students. On Oct. 31, Eisenkot shared a post on social media that outlined his four core demands for any political faction looking to join his upcoming “national emergency government,” including a mandate of national service for all Israelis.
Can Netanyahu stay in power?
In the coming weeks, as Eisenkot works to form a suitable coalition, Netanyahu will remain by default at the head of the outgoing government.