Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a governing coalition after securing 67 recommendations from lawmakers.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced Saturday night that he chose opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form the country’s next government, passing over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after an inconclusive national election.
Herzog communicated the choice to both candidates on Saturday, Nov. 7, Al Jazeera reported, ahead of an official ceremony set for Sunday, Nov. 8, at 5 p.m. Israeli time to formally hand over the mandate. Eisenkot, a former military chief who leads the centrist Yashar party, will receive 28 days to build a coalition, with the possibility of a 14-day extension to secure a working majority.
The move comes after the prime minister’s coalition lost its grip on parliament in the Oct. 27 vote, leading to disputes over the tally after Netanyahu’s party claimed the vote was stolen.
How the recommendations broke down
Herzog met with party delegations throughout the week following the general election, in which no party or bloc won an outright majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Under Israeli law, the president holds broad discretion to assign the mandate to the lawmaker deemed to have the strongest path toward building a coalition, BBC News reported.
Eisenkot secured recommendations from factions representing 67 members of the incoming parliament, according to Fox News. Netanyahu received 46 recommendations, while the seven lawmakers of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party chose not to endorse either candidate.
The endorsements do not give Eisenkot an automatic majority in parliament. In the election, Netanyahu’s Likud took 27 seats to remain the largest single party, and his wider right-wing and religious bloc won 53 seats. Eisenkot’s four-party opposition alliance won 48 seats, leaving both main camps short of the 61 seats required to govern.
The dilemma over Arab-led parties
The remaining 19 endorsements for Eisenkot came from two Arab-led factions, the Joint List and Ra’am, also known as the United Arab List. The two parties achieved historic seat totals, making them central to the math in parliament.
The outlets reported conflicting accounts of Eisenkot’s stance toward working with the Arab-led factions. Al Jazeera reported that Eisenkot has ruled out forming a government with them. In contrast, PBS NewsHour reported that Eisenkot indicated he was willing to partner with Arab-led parties if they meet specific conditions, such as recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization that must be destroyed.
Relying on those factions remains contentious within Eisenkot’s own camp. Avigdor Lieberman, head of the secular nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party, announced Friday on X that he would reject any government that relies on the Joint List and Ra’am, even through external abstentions. Lieberman set three conditions for talks: ending Netanyahu’s tenure, preventing another national election, and refusing to rely on those two Arab-led parties.
Shortly before Herzog made his decision public, Netanyahu released a video pushing for a broad national unity government. He warned against forming an administration that relies on Arab-led parties, describing them as supporters of terrorism and claiming such an arrangement would cause the country to collapse.
Coalition hurdles and next steps
Eisenkot announced Friday that he intends to establish a National Emergency Government based on his core four-party alliance while inviting other lawmakers to join. In a public statement, he argued that “Israel is facing a genuine, tangible and dangerous national emergency” that requires stable leadership.
His framework rests on four basic terms: acknowledging Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, upholding the principles of the Declaration of Independence, requiring universal military or national service, and committing to destroy the governing and military power of Hamas.
Eisenkot’s path to 61 seats without the Arab-led parties depends on winning over religious factions. Lieberman offered a concession on Friday by signaling he would compromise on drafting ultra-Orthodox men into military service, softening a stance that previously blocked cooperation. United Torah Judaism leader Yaakov Asher welcomed that shift, but noted that his party has not seen a formal proposal and still needs guidance from its rabbinical leadership.
If Eisenkot cannot assemble an alliance of at least 61 Knesset members within the allotted six weeks, the mandate could return to Herzog to reassign to another lawmaker or trigger another national election. Netanyahu will remain caretaker prime minister while the coalition talks proceed.
