President Herzog appoints Gadi Eisenkot to attempt formation of Israeli government
Israel's president has tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a coalition after the election left no clear majority, giving him 28 days to negotiate a government.
President Isaac Herzog invited Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the main opposition bloc, to the President’s Residence on Saturday and assigned him the task of forming a new government. Eisenkot, a former military chief, has 28 days to negotiate a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension, before a 100-day deadline that could trigger another election.
Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist bloc remained the largest parliamentary grouping after the Oct. 27 election but fell short of the 61 seats needed for a majority. The Likud party secured 27 seats, while Eisenkot’s Yashar party won 21, and Arab parties together obtained 19 seats, an unprecedented share.
Eisenkot, who entered politics in 2022, has said he will not serve in a government that includes Netanyahu. He indicated he could pursue a minority government with external Arab support, a coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties, or a unity arrangement with Netanyahu, though analysts consider all three options unlikely.
"President Herzog has invited Gadi Eisenkot to the President’s Residence, where he will be tasked with forming the government tomorrow," said a spokesperson for President Herzog.
If Eisenkot fails to assemble a coalition, another candidate may be given the mandate, and if that also fails, the Knesset could be dissolved for a new election.