President Isaac Herzog gives the former military chief the opportunity to form Israel’s next government after 67 lawmakers endorse him, but deep political divisions could complicate coalition negotiations.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced Saturday, November 7, that he had selected opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to attempt to form the country’s next government. The decision followed the October 27 parliamentary elections, which left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without a governing majority and created an opportunity for his principal rival to take power.
Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and leader of the centrist Yashar party, received recommendations from 67 members of Israel’s 120-seat parliament. Netanyahu received support from 46 lawmakers, while seven members of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party declined to endorse either candidate.
Herzog informed both political leaders of his decision Saturday evening after several days of consultations. A formal ceremony to grant Eisenkot the mandate is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, at the president’s official residence in Jerusalem.
Eisenkot Receives Support From 67 Lawmakers
Israel’s election produced no outright winner, forcing the president to determine which candidate should receive the first opportunity to assemble a governing coalition. Eisenkot’s alliance of four Jewish-led parties won 48 seats, while Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc secured 53.
The remaining 19 seats went to two Arab-led political parties representing Israel’s Palestinian Arab minority. Both parties recommended Eisenkot during consultations, increasing his total support to 67 lawmakers.
Their endorsements were decisive in establishing Eisenkot as the candidate with the most recommendations. However, recommending someone for prime minister does not necessarily mean agreeing to participate in that person’s government.
Herzog acknowledged this problem during consultations on November 5. He explained that the endorsements appeared to favor Eisenkot, but disagreements between political factions made it difficult to determine whether either candidate could build a stable coalition.
After additional meetings with party leaders, Herzog selected Eisenkot to receive the mandate. The decision gives him the first opportunity to negotiate a government capable of winning parliamentary approval.
Coalition Negotiations Present Major Obstacles
Under Israeli law, Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, with the possibility of receiving a 14-day extension from the president. He must negotiate agreements with parties that differ sharply on national security, religious policy and the participation of Arab politicians in government.
The most immediate problem is that his 48-seat alliance falls well short of the 61 seats ordinarily needed for a parliamentary majority. Although Arab-led parties provided the endorsements that brought his total to 67, some of Eisenkot’s potential partners oppose governing alongside them.
Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party has opposed joining a coalition that includes Arab-led parties. Eisenkot has also expressed opposition to forming a government with them, even while accepting their recommendations for the mandate.
One alternative would be a minority government that receives outside parliamentary support from Arab parties without formally including them in the governing coalition. Such an arrangement could allow Eisenkot to take office but would leave his administration dependent on parties outside the cabinet.
Another possibility involves negotiating with ultra-Orthodox parties that previously supported Netanyahu. United Torah Judaism’s decision to withhold its endorsement from Netanyahu suggested that relations within his traditional political alliance had weakened.
The party has been involved in a continuing dispute over military conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men. Eisenkot supports broader military service requirements, making an agreement with religious parties particularly difficult.
A broader unity government involving Netanyahu’s Likud party has also been discussed. However, Eisenkot has rejected serving alongside Netanyahu, while disagreements over military policy and government accountability remain unresolved.
Netanyahu Faces a Challenge to His Leadership
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, remains in office while coalition negotiations continue. His religious-nationalist alliance entered the election seeking another parliamentary majority but emerged with only 53 seats.
Likud remains the largest individual party in the Knesset, holding 27 seats. Nevertheless, the combined strength of Netanyahu’s traditional allies is insufficient to establish a majority government.
The decision by United Torah Judaism not to recommend Netanyahu represented an additional setback. Its seven lawmakers could become important participants in negotiations involving either political camp.
Before Herzog’s announcement, Netanyahu called for a national unity government among Jewish-led parties. He warned that an administration dependent on Arab parties would weaken Israel’s security and undermine the country’s political stability.
Arab political representatives rejected Netanyahu’s characterization of their parties. Ahmad Tibi, a senior figure in the Joint List, argued that replacing Netanyahu’s government was a priority and indicated that outside parliamentary support for Eisenkot could be considered.
The disagreement reflects wider divisions over the role of Israel’s Arab minority in national politics. Arab parties have previously participated in governing arrangements, but their involvement remains controversial among several right-wing factions.
Eisenkot’s Military Background Shapes His Political Agenda
Eisenkot served as chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 2015 to 2019 after a military career spanning approximately four decades. He entered parliamentary politics in 2022 and later joined Netanyahu’s emergency wartime government following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
He participated in the war cabinet as an observer but left the government in June 2024 alongside opposition politician Benny Gantz. Both men criticized Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza war and questioned whether the government had established a credible strategy for achieving its military and political objectives.
Eisenkot has also experienced devastating personal losses during the conflict. His son, Gal Meir Eisenkot, was killed during fighting in Gaza in December 2023, followed by his nephew Maor Cohen Eisenkot the next day.
Another nephew, Yogev Pazy, was killed during combat in November 2024. The deaths of his son and two nephews became an important part of Eisenkot’s public story as he continued his political career.
His political platform emphasizes Israel’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state, respect for the Declaration of Independence and broader military conscription. He has also supported efforts to dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities while criticizing decisions made by Netanyahu’s government during the war.
Eisenkot has advocated establishing an independent investigation into the security failures surrounding the October 2023 attacks. That position has contributed to disagreements with Netanyahu and some of the prime minister’s political allies.
Despite their disagreements, Eisenkot and Netanyahu share some positions on regional security threats, including Iran and armed groups operating near Israel’s borders. Their central political conflict involves leadership, accountability and the structure of a future government.
Israel Faces Another Period of Political Uncertainty
The current negotiations follow years of repeated political deadlock. Israel held five parliamentary elections between 2019 and 2022 as competing political alliances struggled to establish durable governing majorities.
The October 27 election again demonstrated the difficulty of assembling a coalition from parties with sharply different positions. Although Eisenkot received endorsements from a majority of lawmakers, those recommendations do not automatically translate into an agreement to govern together.
The process could also continue beyond Eisenkot’s initial mandate. If he fails to establish a government, Herzog can give another lawmaker an opportunity to negotiate a coalition.
If that effort also fails, lawmakers may attempt to nominate another candidate through the procedures established by Israeli law. Fresh elections would become necessary only if the available options were exhausted without a new government receiving parliamentary confidence.
Eisenkot’s immediate responsibility is to determine which political parties will support an actual governing agreement. Negotiations must address cabinet positions, military service, the Gaza conflict and other policy disputes that have divided Israel’s parliament.
The next formal development is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, when Herzog is expected to present Eisenkot with the mandate at the President’s Residence. Netanyahu will continue serving as caretaker prime minister until a replacement government is approved or the political process produces another outcome.
IMAGE: Israeli Chief of Defense Lt Gen Gadi Eisenkot talks with Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while US Ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, talks with Maj Gen Yaacov Ayish, Defense Attaché to the USA, before they participate in a honor guard ceremony in Tel Aviv, Israel, June 9, 2015. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen/Released). Photo: D. Myles Cullen / Wikimedia, taken 2015-06-09, CC BY 2.0