Gadi Eisenkot Seeks to Form National Unity Government, Says He Will Work with Trump

Israeli opposition leader and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot has said that the Israeli people have voted for change and replacing the current government with a new one. He described Israel’s democracy as strong and dynamic, adding that efforts were underway to form a national emergency government as soon as possible. He also expressed his desire to work with US President Donald Trump. Following the recent parliamentary elections, Eisenkot has emerged as the opposition alliance’s candidate for prime minister as it seeks to replace Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Opposition leaders, including Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan, have backed his candidacy.

A majority of 61 seats in Israel’s 120-member parliament, the Knesset, is required to form a government. No party secured an outright majority in the recent elections. Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, the opposition alliance secured 48, while Arab parties obtained 19 seats. The opposition alliance is actively seeking the support of Arab parties to secure the parliamentary majority needed to form a government. In a statement posted on X, Eisenkot said his objective was to provide Israel with new leadership that would represent the interests of all Israeli citizens. Working alongside its coalition partners, he said, a stronger Israel would be built—one that remains both a Jewish and democratic state, upholds liberal values and believes in equality for all citizens.

He said relations between Israel and the United States were not merely an alliance between two governments but a generations-long partnership between the peoples of both countries, founded on shared democratic values and mutual trust. Eisenkot pledged to further strengthen and deepen the US-Israel partnership while seeking to maintain the longstanding support of both major American political parties. Expressing his desire for close and constructive cooperation with President Donald Trump and his administration, Eisenkot said the two countries could work together to advance their shared security interests, strengthen regional stability and create new opportunities for prosperity among the people of the Middle East.

He also expressed his commitment to ending conflicts in the Middle East and developing a region based on opportunities and mutual cooperation. “This is the Israel I believe in, and this is the future we are determined to build,” Eisenkot added. It is worth noting that Eisenkot served as Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from 2015 to 2019. After retiring from the military, he entered politics. Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, he joined Netanyahu’s government but left in June 2024 alongside Benny Gantz. In 2025, he established his own political party, Yashar.