Israeli Politicsupdated 21m ago3 min read
Archive photoGadi Eisenkot’s Yashar Bloc Wins Knesset Arrangements Committee as Netanyahu Keeps Executive Control
5 Other2 West AsianPhoto: Shlomo Spitzer (שלמה שפיצר), CC BY 2.5 · Cropped for layout
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Yashar bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot wins Arrangements Committee control. Netanyahu maintains control of the executive branch despite opposition gains.
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Eisenkot’s bloc, Netanyahu’s hold
Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who leads the Yashar party, was tasked with forming a government while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained in control of the executive branch after the 26th Knesset was sworn in Tuesday. Eisenkot’s bloc secured its first major parliamentary victory Wednesday when lawmakers approved the establishment of the Knesset's Arrangements Committee, headed by Yashar lawmaker Roy Folkman, and the committee was set to submit the proposed composition of permanent parliamentary committees for approval by the full Knesset. Amir Ohana, a member of Netanyahu's Likud party, still served as Knesset speaker, and Netanyahu's outgoing coalition forced the postponement of all committee meetings, including those of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, until Monday.
The balance of power left Netanyahu retaining authority over government ministries and national security decisions while caretaker restrictions limited major policy changes, even as Eisenkot’s bloc held the parliamentary majority to control committees, advance legislation, and scrutinize government spending. Eisenkot’s supporters also held 48 seats controlled by Yashar and its allies in the Zionist anti-Netanyahu bloc, while parties that endorsed Eisenkot for prime minister held 67 seats, including 19 seats controlled by Ra’am and the Joint List.
Accusations over Arab citizens
Eisenkot accused Benjamin Netanyahu of fueling a “violent and racist” campaign against Arab citizens after the October 27 Knesset election, and Eisenkot said the delegitimization campaign was “fueled for political reasons by the outgoing prime minister and his circle.” Eisenkot also told reporters that “The attempt to sling mud at them as a group is a non-statesmanlike act,” and he said the campaign made a “mockery of the Declaration of Independence and of the values we take pride in as a Jewish democratic state.” Netanyahu, meanwhile, accused the Arab parties of stealing the election and seeking Israel’s destruction, and Netanyahu demanded Eisenkot join a Netanyahu-led “unity government” that would include the premier’s far-right allies.
Elyasaf Peretz’s mother, former presidential candidate Miriam Peretz, said her son would quit if Eisenkot were to form a government with an Arab party, and Eisenkot said, “I embrace Miriam Peretz and I trust Elyasaf.” Eisenkot also said he would use the parliamentary majority to establish a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, and undo the Netanyahu government’s contentious judicial overhaul laws.
What changes, what remains
Arie Perliger of the University of Massachusetts Lowell argued that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich should not be treated as a single bloc, saying, “I would argue that we should not treat Ben-Gvir and Smotrich as a single bloc,” while he added that “Ben-Gvir’s power is populist and performative, and opposition suits him.” The Al Jazeera account said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have been central lightning rods for criticism, and it described both ministers as having supported Israel’s “genocidal war on Gaza” and repeatedly threatening to withdraw support from the government when Netanyahu faced international pressure. The Al Jazeera account also said Smotrich became finance minister in 2022, granting him control over the Israeli budget and a number of institutions in the occupied West Bank, while Ben-Gvir was named national security minister.
The Al Jazeera account further said that in June 2025, Ireland and the Netherlands imposed travel bans on the two ministers and other countries froze their assets, and it quoted Taoiseach Micheal Martin saying the measures were taken due to their shared “desire to see the elimination of Palestinians from Palestine”. The Times of Israel account said the next government’s first major task would be to restore Israel’s bipartisan ties with the United States, and it warned that Israel’s next government must restore those relationships with both Republicans and Democrats.
