Israeli President Isaac Herzog has chosen opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to try to form a new government, following elections on October 27 that left no party with a clear majority.
Eisenkot, a former military chief and head of the Yashar party, secured endorsements from 67 lawmakers, more than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Under Israeli law, Eisenkot now has up to 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to build a governing coalition.
In a statement after the announcement, Eisenkot said it was time to establish a national emergency government and that he would do everything possible to prove worthy of the task.
The election results showed Netanyahu’s Likud party remained the single largest in parliament, but his bloc lost its majority. Eisenkot’s bloc also fell short of a majority. This leaves Arab-led parties, which made historic gains, as potential kingmakers. An Arab party has been part of a governing coalition only once in Israel’s history.
Netanyahu has warned against any alliance between Eisenkot and Arab-led parties, calling them “terrorist supporters” and claiming without evidence that they “stole” the elections. Eisenkot has indicated he would be willing to partner with them under certain conditions, including requiring them to call Hamas a terrorist group.
Another possibility is a broad unity government between Eisenkot and Netanyahu’s Likud, but the two leaders have deep differences on many issues that would be difficult to bridge.
The political deadlock comes after more than three years of war in Gaza, following the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.
If Eisenkot fails to form a government within the allotted time, the president could task another candidate or call for new elections.