Israeli president appoints Gadi Eisenkot to attempt coalition formation

President Isaac Herzog nominated former military chief Gadi Eisenkot on Saturday to try to assemble a governing coalition following Israel's inconclusive election on October 27. Eisenkot, who is seen as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief rival, has 28 days – with a possible 14-day extension – to negotiate a coalition.

Eisenkot, 66, said on X that he will work to create a "national emergency government" and pledged to do everything possible to earn public confidence. A spokesperson for President Herzog said the president had invited Eisenkot to the President’s Residence to receive the mandate.

Analysts note that Eisenkot could pursue several routes: a minority government supported by Arab parties on specific issues, a coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties, or a unity arrangement with Netanyahu. All three scenarios are considered difficult, and if Eisenkot fails, another candidate will be given the opportunity to form a government. The process is expected to last up to about 100 days, after which a new election could be called.

In the 120-seat Knesset, Likud secured 27 seats, while Netanyahu's broader religious-nationalist bloc obtained 53 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority. Eisenkot's Yashar party won 21 seats, and his coalition of four centre-left to right-wing Jewish-led parties captured 48 seats. Two Arab parties together won 19 seats, an unprecedented share.

Eisenkot, the son of Moroccan immigrants, would be the first prime minister from Israel's Mizrahi community. He entered politics in 2022, briefly served in Netanyahu's wartime cabinet after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, and then returned to the opposition, where he criticized Netanyahu's handling of the Gaza conflict and stated he would not serve in a government with him. Eisenkot's family has suffered personal losses in the war, with a son and two nephews killed in Gaza.

During his campaign, Eisenkot highlighted his security experience, referencing the "Dahiyeh doctrine" he applied as a commander in the 2006 war with Hezbollah. He has also voiced criticism of settler violence against Palestinians and opposed the participation of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich in the coalition.