Israeli Politicsupdated 19m ago2 min read
Gadi Eisenkot Receives Mandate to Form Israel’s Next Government After Herzog’s Tasking
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Eisenkot formally received the mandate from President Isaac Herzog to form the next government. Vows a creative, unconventional path to an emergency coalition.
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Eisenkot gets mandate
President Isaac Herzog tasked Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming Israel’s next government after 67 lawmakers recommended him, compared to 46 who backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Eisenkot, who received the mandate at a ceremony at the presidential office, vowed to pursue “creative and unconventional” pathways to assembling what he termed a “national emergency government.” Herzog gave Eisenkot 28 days to form a government, and Herzog said Likud remains the largest faction in the Knesset with 27 seats.
The Knesset election results left neither bloc with a 61-seat majority, with Netanyahu’s bloc holding 53 seats and the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot winning 48 seats. Eisenkot’s coalition math included a Jewish-led bloc of 48 and an Arab-led bloc of 19, with the Joint List and Ra’am securing a combined 19 seats and potentially decisive roles in efforts to form the next government.
Unity calls and red lines
Netanyahu called for “national unity” and urged rejection of a government supported by “terror supporters,” while Eisenkot said he would not serve in a Netanyahu government and Netanyahu had not indicated he was willing to step aside. Eisenkot told the Knesset parties that “all of us will need to compromise,” and he invited members of Likud and Religious Zionism to join him while not naming Netanyahu in his remarks. Herzog urged Eisenkot to do “everything for the unity of our people,” and Herzog said he expected Eisenkot to establish a government that would serve the entire people.
The Times of Israel reported that Eisenkot’s bloc is short of a 61-seat majority in the Knesset, and it said members have floated the possibility of first replacing Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman reportedly told Eisenkot to reject cooperating with Arab parties in building a government, while Liberman declared on Friday that the bloc should partner with the ultra-Orthodox parties United Torah Judaism and Shas.
What happens next
Eisenkot’s mandate period runs on a timetable shaped by the Knesset speaker process, because a legal provision prevented the replacement of the Knesset speaker until a newly elected parliament is sworn in. The Times of Israel said only next week are 61 lawmakers expected to submit signatures demanding a vote to appoint a new speaker, and it said Eisenkot does not plan to formally notify the president that he has succeeded in forming a government until then. The Guardian said Eisenkot faces three options on the road to becoming prime minister, including a power-sharing agreement with Netanyahu, support from Arab-led parties, or an agreement with the ultra-Orthodox parties that demand military exemptions.
The Jerusalem Post live updates said if no candidate succeeds in forming a government through the prescribed process, Israel’s political deadlock could ultimately lead to another election. The Times of Israel reported that if the opposition elects a new speaker and takes control of the Knesset Arrangements Committee, it could potentially pass bills Netanyahu has blocked, including establishing a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack.