Eisenkot given 28 days to form Israel's next government
The former military chief must bridge deep divisions within his bloc to secure a majority before the deadline expires.
By Oliver Bennett ·
Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a new government. President Isaac Herzog assigned this task on Saturday after consulting with various political parties. Eisenkot can request an additional 14 days if he needs more time.
The 66-year-old head of the Yashar party is attempting to build a national emergency cabinet. His proposed alliance includes his own party, the Democrats, the Together party, and Yisrael Beiteinu. These four groups hold 48 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The Ra’am party and the Joint List have endorsed his bid, bringing the total support for his camp to 67 seats.
Eisenkot faces immediate obstacles regarding cabinet composition. He has excluded Arab parties from his proposed government structure. Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman have opposed a minority administration that relies on outside support from these parties. A minority government would allow the four main parties to hold cabinet posts while seeking policy concessions from Arab-led parties in the parliament.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist alliance currently holds 53 seats. This is fewer than the 64 seats his bloc won in the 2022 elections. Likud remains the largest individual party with 27 seats, while Yashar holds 21. The United Torah Judaism party declined to recommend a candidate to the president. It may still support Netanyahu if its demands for exemptions from compulsory military service are met.
Eisenkot is exploring other mathematical paths to a majority. An agreement with United Torah Judaism and the Shas party would add 13 seats to his bloc. This combination would bring his total to exactly 61 seats, which is the number required for a majority. Such a deal would require compromises on military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox religious students. Lieberman has recently indicated openness to such compromises.
Another possible arrangement involves uniting Yashar, Together, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Likud. This coalition would control 67 seats. However, it would require Eisenkot and his partners to drop their central campaign promise to remove Netanyahu from office. The competing options leave the opposition weighing internal disagreements against the parliamentary support needed to govern.
If Eisenkot fails to form a government within the allotted time, President Herzog may turn to Netanyahu. Parliament could nominate another candidate if both leaders fail. If no government is formed after 100 days, Israel will face another election.
