Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced Saturday that former military chief Gadi Eisenkot will have the first chance to form the country’s next government, delivering a major political blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu less than two weeks after Israel’s parliamentary election.
The decision puts Eisenkot, head of the opposition Yashar party, in position to challenge Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. Building a coalition, however, could prove extremely difficult.
Although 67 of the Knesset’s 120 newly elected lawmakers recommended Eisenkot, his four-party “change bloc” controls only 48 seats. Netanyahu’s outgoing coalition holds 53, meaning neither camp has the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.
Herzog notified both political leaders of his decision Saturday after meeting with representatives of the newly elected Knesset and holding further consultations over the weekend. Eisenkot is scheduled to receive the mandate formally Sunday at 5 p.m. local time. He will then have 28 days to assemble a government, with the president able to grant an extension of up to 14 additional days.
Netanyahu will continue serving as prime minister while the coalition talks take place. His Likud party won 27 seats in the October 27 election, the highest total of any party.
If Eisenkot cannot form a government, Herzog may turn to Netanyahu or another lawmaker, potentially extending the political stalemate that has sent Israelis to the polls repeatedly in recent years.
Herzog’s decision came after Netanyahu’s long-standing parliamentary alliance failed to reach the 61-seat threshold, even though it performed better than many expected. In consultations with the president, 46 lawmakers backed Netanyahu, while the seven members of United Torah Judaism, an ultra-Orthodox party traditionally aligned with him, declined to support either candidate.
Eisenkot’s 67 recommendations included backing from 19 lawmakers representing the Arab parties Ra’am and the Joint List. Their support has become a major complication for any effort to replace Netanyahu and build a functioning government.
Netanyahu addressed the issue in a video statement Saturday, warning that a government reliant on Arab-party support would be unable to confront Hamas, Iran and other security threats facing Israel.
“A government dependent on terror supporters will not fight terror,” Netanyahu said, accusing the Arab parties of holding views that conflict with Israel’s security needs.
“With such a government, Israel simply will not survive,” he added.
Netanyahu instead urged the creation of a national unity government that would include his current coalition partners along with other Zionist parties, saying the country’s security challenges required a broader political alliance.
“Therefore, there is only one choice: not national suicide, but national unity,” he said.
“A national unity government will permanently remove the nuclear threat from Iran, preserve Israel as a Jewish state, and bring unity among us,” Netanyahu continued.
The debate over a government supported by Arab parties has taken on added weight after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre. Israel’s first parliamentary election since the attack has revived scrutiny of those parties’ positions on Hamas and national security.
Ra’am, the Islamist party led by Mansour Abbas, joined the coalition formed by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in 2021. The Joint List, a grouping of primarily Arab factions that includes communist and Arab nationalist parties, has never entered an Israeli governing coalition.
While both parties recommended Eisenkot during Herzog’s consultations, neither has promised to join his government or provide the reliable parliamentary backing it would need to survive.
During consultations earlier this week, Herzog asked Abbas directly whether he regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization. The Ra’am leader did not provide a yes-or-no response, later saying he needed flexibility to act as a bridge while safeguarding himself and his family.
The exchange highlighted a serious challenge for Eisenkot, who has said that recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization and supporting the dismantling of its military and governing structures are prerequisites for joining his government.
His additional conditions include recognizing Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, accepting the principles outlined in its Declaration of Independence, and supporting mandatory military, national or civilian service for all citizens.
After Herzog’s announcement, Eisenkot said, “now is the time for the formation of a national emergency government,” promising to seek an agreement among parties prepared to accept those principles.
Yashar rejected Netanyahu’s proposed unity framework and called on Likud to leave its current coalition partners, accept Eisenkot’s four conditions and join a government led by Eisenkot. Eisenkot has previously said he would not serve in a government headed by Netanyahu.
At the same time, Eisenkot’s four-party change bloc faces internal tensions. Its leaders campaigned against forming a government with Arab parties or ultra-Orthodox factions — the very groups whose support may be required to unseat Netanyahu.
Avigdor Liberman, leader of the nationalist Yisrael Beytenu party, has rejected backing a minority government that would depend on Ra’am and the Joint List abstaining from key votes. He has insisted that any coalition must include at least 61 lawmakers.
In an effort to find another route to a majority, Liberman said Friday that he was willing to reconsider his long-standing opposition to governing with ultra-Orthodox parties and offer concessions on military conscription, a central issue during the campaign.
Such a move could create an opening for talks with UTJ. Its seven seats would raise Eisenkot’s bloc to 55, still below the majority threshold. Shas, another ultra-Orthodox party traditionally allied with Netanyahu, has publicly rejected reports that it plans to join an Eisenkot-led government, calling them “complete fake news.”
The proposed concessions could also spark opposition within Eisenkot’s alliance. Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing Democrats party, has said he is open to working with ultra-Orthodox factions but continues to demand military conscription, increased workforce participation and additional reforms.
For Netanyahu, who has repeatedly regained power amid Israel’s volatile coalition politics, Herzog’s decision is a setback — but it does not yet mark the end of his premiership.
Eisenkot has the first opportunity to form a government, but turning 67 recommendations into a workable coalition will require him to bridge major political divides. He must also overcome campaign promises from potential partners who vowed not to govern with the same parties whose support may now be essential.
Netanyahu will remain prime minister until a new government wins the Knesset’s confidence. If Eisenkot fails, Netanyahu could have another chance to form a coalition.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for – News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.