Gadi Eisenkot tasked with forming Israel's next government amid coalition challenges
Former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot received President Isaac Herzog's mandate to build a coalition, but must secure additional partners to reach a parliamentary majority.
Former Israel Defense Forces chief Gadi Eisenkot was given a mandate by President Isaac Herzog to assemble a governing coalition after the October 27 elections left the Knesset without a clear majority. Eisenkot's Yashar-led bloc holds 48 of the 120 seats, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud bloc secured 53 seats. Although Netanyahu's bloc has the largest single tally, Eisenkot obtained recommendations from parties representing 67 seats, including the Joint List and Ra'am, which together hold 19 seats.
Eisenkot has 28 days, until December 6, to present a coalition that can win a confidence vote. President Herzog may grant a further 14-day extension if needed. Failure to form a government would lead to a new mandate being assigned to another Knesset member, with subsequent deadlines extending into 2027 and potentially triggering fresh elections.
To reach the required 61 votes, Eisenkot faces two main paths. One option is to rely on the Arab parties that supported his mandate, but Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman has ruled out a coalition that includes the Joint List or Ra'am. The alternative is to court the right-wing ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, which together control 13 seats and could bring Eisenkot's bloc to exactly the majority threshold.
Negotiations are complicated by policy differences. Eisenkot has opposed blanket conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men, a stance that could clash with the Haredi parties' interests. At the same time, aligning with the Haredi bloc might alienate the Arab parties that helped secure his mandate.
"We will take all measures to keep Netanyahu out, including creative and unconventional political steps to form a national emergency government," Eisenkot said, as reported by The Times of Israel.
The coalition-building process will determine whether Eisenkot can form a stable government or whether a unity arrangement with Netanyahu, which Eisenkot has dismissed, will become necessary.