Eisenkot tasked with forming Israeli government
President Isaac Herzog selected the former military chief of staff over Benjamin Netanyahu after last month's election left both leaders without a clear majority.
By Natalie Cooper ·
Israel's President Isaac Herzog appointed Gadi Eisenkot to attempt to build the next government on Sunday. The decision bypasses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose Likud party won the most seats in last month's election but failed to secure a parliamentary majority.
Likud captured 27 seats in the 120-seat parliament, a margin of six seats over Eisenkot's Yashar party. Neither faction holds the 61 votes required to command a legislative majority.
Herzog will formally grant Eisenkot the mandate at 5 p.m. local time on Sunday. Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, served as the country's top military commander from 2015 to 2019. He joined Netanyahu's emergency war cabinet after the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, but departed the following year. During his tenure, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of stalling efforts to end the Gaza war and secure hostage releases.
The former general lost his son, Gal, and two nephews during the conflict. He currently leads the centrist Yashar party, which he founded on a platform of anti-corruption and government reform.
Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. This gives him up to six weeks to negotiate with rival parties. If he fails to secure a majority, Herzog may offer the mandate to another lawmaker. Should that attempt also fail, Israel faces a new election while Netanyahu serves as caretaker prime minister.
