Israeli president taps Eisenkot to form government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Saturday night that he was giving opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a governing coalition following elections on Oct. 27.

The appointment

Herzog’s office said it had informed Eisenkot, the leader of the Yashar party, “of his intention to task him with forming a government.” The formal appointment would take place in an official ceremony on Sunday at the president’s residence in Jerusalem.

Election results

Eisenkot’s wide-ranging opposition bloc won 48 of the Israeli parliament’s 120 seats in the October elections, while Netanyahu’s camp secured 53, leaving neither with a majority. Netanyahu is fighting to hold on to office after his religious-nationalist coalition lost its majority but still emerged as the largest bloc in parliament.

Coalition prospects

During party consultations with Herzog, Eisenkot received the endorsements of both Arab-majority lists, who could now play kingmakers after making unprecedented gains in the vote. It remains unclear if Eisenkot’s bloc would accept support from the Arab lists in forming a government. The Guardian reported that Eisenkot has thus far declined to join forces with Arab parties in Israel, which could enable him to govern with a majority.

Netanyahu’s response

The announcement came shortly after Netanyahu called for a “national unity government” in a video statement and warned against “hastily swearing in a government with terrorist supporters” – an apparent reference to the Arab-led parties. Yashar slammed the prime minister’s video with a statement posted on X and urged members of his party, Likud, to disavow their alliance with “radical parties,” in an apparent reference to the more extreme parties in his religious-nationalist base.

Why it matters

Should Eisenkot succeed in forming a coalition, he would take over as prime minister from Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving premier. The Knesset has been deadlocked since the election last month when Netanyahu’s coalition lost its majority.

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Sources

• ctvnews.ca: Israel election: Eisenkot given chance to form government
• theguardian.com: Israel’s president picks Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot to form government | Israel | The Guardian
• thestar.com: Israel’s president taps opposition candidate Eisenkot to form a government, in setback for Netanyahu

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.