President Herzog appoints Gadi Eisenkot to attempt formation of Israeli government

President Isaac Herzog invited former military chief Gadi Eisenkot to the President’s Residence on Saturday, tasking him with forming a new government within 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension. Eisenkot, who leads the Yashar party, was nominated despite his refusal to join forces with Arab parties, whose support would give him a parliamentary majority.

The November 7 election left Likud as the largest single party with 27 seats, while Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist bloc secured 53 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority. Eisenkot’s coalition of four Jewish-led parties holds 48 seats, and two Arab parties together won 19 seats, an unprecedented share.

Analysts say Eisenkot’s options – a minority government with external Arab support, a coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties, or a unity arrangement with Benjamin Netanyahu – are all unlikely. Should his attempt fail, another candidate may be given the mandate, and if no government is formed within roughly 100 days, a new election will be called.

Eisenkot, 66, a son of Moroccan immigrants, would become 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 has since criticized Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza conflict. Eisenkot has also spoken out against settler violence and opposes coalition partners Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

"President Herzog has invited Gadi Eisenkot to the President’s Residence, where he will be tasked with forming the government tomorrow," a spokesperson for President Herzog said.