Israeli President Tasks Gadi Eisenkot with Forming New Government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has selected Gadi Eisenkot, one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strongest political rivals, to try to form a new government following a closely contested election in which no leader secured enough support to take power. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is seeking to remain in office after his religious-nationalist bloc lost its parliamentary majority in the October 27 election. However, his Likud party still emerged as the largest single party in parliament.  Former military chief Eisenkot received the highest number of endorsements from lawmakers, including leaders of Arab parties. A spokesperson for Herzog said, “President Herzog has invited Gadi Eisenkot to the presidential residence, where he will be formally tasked with forming a government tomorrow.”  Although the Israeli president’s role is largely ceremonial, he is responsible for selecting the candidate who gets the first opportunity to form a coalition following an election.  Eisenkot also responded to the announcement in a post on X, writing, “Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything possible to ensure that we are worthy of this responsibility.”

Eisenkot now faces a difficult task as he seeks to bring together enough parties to form a government. Weeks of political negotiations are expected before a final decision is reached. He has 28 days to form a coalition, with the option of receiving an additional 14 days if necessary. There are several possible ways for him to secure the required support. One option is to form a minority government and rely on the votes of Arab parties in parliament on key issues. He could also attempt to bring ultra-Orthodox parties into his coalition. However, Eisenkot and his political allies have previously avoided working with these parties. Another possibility is a unity government with Netanyahu, although Eisenkot has repeatedly opposed serving under him. Political analysts, however, believe that none of these three options is likely to succeed. If Eisenkot fails to form a government, another candidate may be given an opportunity. If that person also fails, parliament can nominate someone else. The entire process has a deadline of approximately 100 days. If no candidate succeeds in forming a government within that period, Israel will have to hold another election.

The election results have left Israel with a divided parliament.

Netanyahu’s Likud party won 27 seats in the 120-member Knesset, making it the largest single party. However, his broader religious-nationalist bloc secured only 53 seats, falling short of the 61 required for a majority. Eisenkot’s Yashar party came second with 21 seats. His broader alliance, comprising four Jewish-led parties ranging from the centre-left to the right, won 48 seats. Meanwhile, two parties representing Israel’s Arab minority secured a combined 19 seats, marking an unprecedented result for the community. Their support has subsequently become important in efforts to form the next government, although Eisenkot has ruled out formally joining forces with them. It is worth noting that 66-year-old Gadi Eisenkot is a former military chief and the son of Moroccan immigrants. If he becomes prime minister, he would be the first leader from Israel’s Mizrahi Jewish community, whose members have roots in the Middle East and North Africa.  Eisenkot entered politics only in 2022. Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, he briefly joined Netanyahu’s war cabinet. However, he later left the government and returned to the opposition.  Since then, he has openly criticised Netanyahu’s leadership, particularly his handling of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. He has also pledged not to serve in a government led by Netanyahu. Eisenkot has additionally criticised violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, which has escalated since 2023. The violence has contributed to growing tensions between Israel and several Western countries.