Gadi Eisenkot Gets Six Weeks to Form Israel’s Next Government
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will formally task opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government, giving the former military chief up to six weeks to
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will formally task opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government, giving the former military chief up to six weeks to try to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The move gives Netanyahu’s main rival the first chance to build a coalition, but does not guarantee a change of government.
Herzog’s office said the formal appointment would take place at a ceremony on Sunday. The decision followed consultations with parties elected to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
Eisenkot, 66, leads the centrist Yashar party and was the main challenger to Netanyahu in the October 27 election. Neither his opposition bloc nor Netanyahu’s camp won a majority in the 120-seat parliament.
Herzog received recommendations from 67 lawmakers for Eisenkot, including members of two Arab-led parties. Netanyahu received 46 recommendations, while his camp secured 53 seats in the election and Eisenkot’s wider bloc won 48, leaving both short of the 61 seats needed for a majority.
The Arab-led parties’ support could prove decisive. The Joint List, an alliance of Arab-led parties, said it would recommend Eisenkot, while Ra’am also backed him. Together, the two lists hold 19 seats, according to the election results.
Whether Eisenkot’s bloc will accept their support in a governing coalition remains unclear. The negotiations must bridge divisions within the opposition as well as determine whether the Arab-led lawmakers can help secure a working majority.
Netanyahu also faces a break in his political support: United Torah Judaism, traditionally an ally, did not recommend him during the consultations. Herzog’s choice of Eisenkot is a setback for the longtime prime minister, but Netanyahu remains in office while coalition talks proceed.
If Eisenkot cannot assemble a coalition within the mandate period, the political path forward remains uncertain. His immediate task is to negotiate with parties whose recommendations gave him a paper majority, then determine whether that support can be turned into a government.
