Gadi Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a coalition that would unseat Benjamin Netanyahu, after President Isaac Herzog on Saturday named the opposition leader and former army chief as the first candidate tasked with forming Israel’s next government, nos.nl reported. The mandate hands Eisenkot the initiative in a Knesset where no bloc won a majority in the October 27 elections.
Netanyahu’s Likud emerged as the largest single party, but Eisenkot secured recommendations from 67 of the 120 members of parliament, compared with 46 for Netanyahu, Vietnam.vn reported. Herzog made the decision after consultations with party leaders, De Telegraaf reported, and the clock can be extended by 14 days if Eisenkot needs more time.
The appointment lands at a moment when Arab parties hold unprecedented leverage: the United Arab List (Ra’am) and the Joint List together won a record 19 seats, nos.nl reported. Those parties could deliver the votes Eisenkot needs, but several leaders in his own opposition bloc have ruled out any government that depends on their support.
Eisenkot’s Four Conditions for Coalition Partners
Eisenkot has said he will work with any party that accepts four conditions: recognizing Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, endorsing the values of the Declaration of Independence, universal military or civilian service, and recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization while committing to dismantle its military and governing capacity, nos.nl reported.
Mansour Abbas’s United Arab List has signaled a pragmatic willingness to join a government, and Abbas condemned Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, but he does not explicitly label Hamas a terrorist organization, nos.nl reported. The Joint List, a bloc of three smaller parties, says it is not bound by Eisenkot’s conditions, though it has said it would support a government led by him from outside the coalition.
The Coalition Puzzle: Arab Parties, Ultra-Orthodox, or Unity
Eisenkot could try to form a minority government relying on support from the Arab parties, but partners in his own bloc, including Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman, have excluded any arrangement that depends on Arab parties, nos.nl reported. Netanyahu has sought to exploit that divide, warning on Wednesday of a government dependent on “Islamist parties that support terrorism,” and accusing the Arab parties of election fraud and foreign interference—claims the election commission and police say they have no evidence to support, nos.nl reported.
Another path opened over the weekend when the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, a longtime Netanyahu ally, declined to recommend any candidate for prime minister to the president, appearing to distance itself from Netanyahu, nos.nl reported. But a coalition with Eisenkot’s bloc is complicated: Eisenkot campaigned on universal military service, while the ultra-Orthodox parties demand exemptions for their men. Lieberman said Thursday he would be willing to compromise on the draft if it allowed a coalition without Netanyahu, though it remains unclear whether Eisenkot and other opposition leaders will accept, nos.nl reported.
A unity government with Netanyahu remains formally possible, and Netanyahu called for one again Saturday evening, but Eisenkot and the other opposition leaders have ruled out any cooperation with him, nos.nl reported.
What Happens in the Next 28 Days
Eisenkot’s bloc won 48 seats in the October 27 vote, while Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc took 53, with 61 needed for a majority, Vietnam.vn reported. Eisenkot’s Change Bloc is preparing a phased approach, starting with its own 48 members and potentially expanding later to include the ultra-Orthodox parties. If Eisenkot fails to form a government within 28 days plus a possible 14-day extension, the mandate could pass to Netanyahu, and if all attempts fail, Israel would hold new elections within 90 days, Vietnam.vn reported.
How Eisenkot Secured Mandate via Cross-Party Support
Why did Eisenkot get the mandate when Netanyahu’s Likud won the most seats?
Under Israeli practice, the president gives the mandate to the member of parliament who secures the most recommendations from other parties, not necessarily the leader of the largest party. Vietnam.vn reported that 67 Knesset members recommended Eisenkot, while only 46 recommended Netanyahu.
What are Eisenkot’s four conditions for joining his government?
According to nos.nl, they are: recognizing Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, supporting the values of the Declaration of Independence, accepting universal military or civilian service, and recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization while pledging to dismantle its military and governing capacity.
Will the Arab parties join Eisenkot’s coalition?
The United Arab List and the Joint List, which together hold 19 seats, have both indicated they would support Eisenkot, but nos.nl reported that the Joint List is not bound by his conditions and Abbas does not explicitly call Hamas a terrorist organization, leaving the details of any agreement unresolved.
What happens if Eisenkot cannot form a government in 28 days?
He can request a 14-day extension from the president. If he still fails, Vietnam.vn reported, Herzog can appoint another candidate—possibly Netanyahu—and if all attempts fail, new elections must be held within 90 days.
Whether Lieberman’s offer to compromise on military service will break the deadlock remains unanswered, and whether Eisenkot will accept support from Arab parties that partners like Bennett and Lieberman exclude is the question that will decide if Netanyahu’s era ends or continues.
Earlier coverage: Israel Election: Gadi Eisenkot Nears Mandate to Form Government Over Netanyahu
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