JERUSALEM, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot, whose party leads in recent Israeli election polls, said Saturday he would not include the Arab party Ra'am in a government he intends to form.
According to the latest polls, opposition parties are currently ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition before the parliament elections scheduled for Oct. 27.
However, Eisenkot's bloc does not currently reach the 61 seats needed to form a majority in the 120-member parliament.
Eisenkot, who heads the Yashar party, told Israel's Channel 12 News that Ra'am, led by Arab politician Mansour Abbas, would not join his government because it does not meet conditions he has set, including support for mandatory military service, recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, and recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization that must be eliminated. ■
