Herzog assigns Eisenkot the task of building Israel's next government
The former army chief has 28 days to secure a parliamentary majority before the window closes and the country risks returning to the polls.
By Alexei Brooks ·
President Isaac Herzog designated Gadi Eisenkot as the candidate best positioned to form Israel's next government on Saturday night.
Herzog made the announcement after days of consultations with parties elected in the October 27 vote. Eisenkot is the primary rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who lost his parliamentary majority in that election. The decision places the former army chief in a challenging position to assemble a stable coalition.
Israel's political system requires a majority of at least 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset to form a government. Neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu secured that threshold independently. Netanyahu’s coalition held 53 seats, down from a peak of 68. The opposition bloc led by Eisenkot won 48 seats, while Arab-led parties secured 19 seats.
Herzog chose Eisenkot because the Arab-led parties indicated they were ready to support him. This support is politically difficult for Eisenkot and his partners, who campaigned on ending the long-standing draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox communities. Eisenkot must now choose between a power-sharing deal with Netanyahu, a coalition including Arab parties, or an alliance with ultra-Orthodox groups that may demand military exemptions.
Netanyahu has claimed the election was stolen by Arab parties who rallied their supporters to vote in large numbers. He has offered limited evidence for these claims. Netanyahu is expected to continue pressuring Eisenkot, arguing that any alliance with Arab parties would be a betrayal. The Shin Bet security agency has launched an investigation into possible foreign interference, though the Central Elections Commission and Herzog stated the vote was valid.
Eisenkot has set conditions for any Arab party joining his coalition, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and declaring Hamas a terrorist organization. Only one Arab party, Ra'am, has ever joined a governing coalition, which occurred in 2021. The Joint List, the second Arab-led party, said it will support Eisenkot from outside the coalition to end Netanyahu's hold on power. This approach breaks with decades of precedent and creates friction for both sides, as the Joint List will back a government unlikely to end wars in the region.
Eisenkot will officially receive the mandate during a ceremony on Sunday. He has 28 days to form a government, with a possible two-week extension from the president. If he fails, Netanyahu may receive a chance to build a coalition. If Netanyahu also fails, the country will return to elections early next spring. New members of the Knesset will be sworn in on Tuesday evening, and Netanyahu and his cabinet will remain in a caretaker capacity with limited powers until a coalition is formed.
