Israel Government: Eisenkot Gets Six Weeks to Form Coalition
President Isaac Herzog tasked Gadi Eisenkot with building a cabinet after the Oct. 27 election left no party with a majority.
By Natalie Cooper ·
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, received the official mandate on Saturday to form the next government. President Isaac Herzog made the decision late in the day after consulting with parties elected in the Oct. 27 parliamentary vote. The move forces Eisenkot to begin complex coalition negotiations immediately, with a deadline of six weeks to succeed.
No candidate secured the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset. Netanyahu’s bloc lost ground, dropping from a peak of 68 seats to 53. Eisenkot’s opposition group won 48 seats, while Arab-led parties captured the remaining 19. Herzog determined that Eisenkot had the best probability of securing a majority because Arab-led parties indicated they would support him.
Eisenkot, a former army chief, faces difficult choices to reach the required number of votes. His options include a power-sharing deal with Netanyahu, support from Arab-led parties, or an agreement with ultra-Orthodox parties. Each path carries political risks. A coalition with ultra-Orthodox groups would require compromises on military service, a key campaign issue for Eisenkot. Aligning with Arab parties is challenging because some members of his own bloc oppose such partnerships.
The two Arab-led parties that won 19 seats in the election have pledged support. The Ra’am party will join the coalition, while the Joint List will support Eisenkot from outside the government. This arrangement breaks with decades of precedent for the Joint List. Eisenkot has set conditions for any Arab party joining his cabinet, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and designating Hamas as a terrorist organization. The Yisrael Beytenu party, a partner in Eisenkot’s bloc, has stated it will not join a coalition that includes Arab-led parties.
Netanyahu has disputed the election outcome, claiming the vote was stolen by Arab parties. He has not provided substantial evidence for this claim. On Saturday night, he proposed a national unity government with Eisenkot. The Shin Bet security agency is investigating potential foreign interference, though the Central Elections Commission and Herzog consider the vote valid.
Eisenkot will officially receive the mandate during a ceremony on Sunday. He has 28 days to form a government, with the possibility of a two-week extension. If he fails, Netanyahu will receive a chance to form a coalition. If Netanyahu also fails, new elections will be held early next spring.
New members of the Knesset will be sworn in on Tuesday evening. Netanyahu and his current cabinet will serve in a caretaker capacity with limited powers until a new government is established.
