Israel's president gives Eisenkot first chance to form government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has formally given opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot the first chance to form the next government, following the October 27 parliamentary elections.

The mandate and the timeline

Herzog announced his decision on Saturday after days of consultations with the parties elected to parliament. Eisenkot will officially receive the mandate during a ceremony on Sunday and will launch negotiations with potential coalition partners. He has 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible two-week extension from the president.

The parliamentary arithmetic

Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot secured a majority in the election. Netanyahu’s coalition fell from a peak of 68 seats to 53. Eisenkot’s opposition bloc won 48 seats, and Arab-led parties secured the other 19. A coalition needs at least 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset to form a government.

Possible paths to a coalition

Eisenkot has three options: a power-sharing agreement with Netanyahu, support from Arab-led parties, or an agreement with the ultra-Orthodox parties. Ra’am has said it will support Eisenkot, but the party does not have enough seats on its own to push him into the majority. The Joint List has offered to support Eisenkot from outside the coalition. One of Eisenkot’s partners, Yisrael Beytenu, has said it will not join a coalition with Arab-led parties. United Torah Judaism has left the door open to cooperating with Eisenkot.

Conditions and reactions

Eisenkot laid out four conditions for parties that want to join him: they must recognise Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, accept its declaration of independence, support military, national or civil service for all citizens, and declare Hamas a terrorist group. He said: “I intend to navigate the situation with patience, humility, composure and a deep commitment to a Jewish, equal, liberal, and secure Israel.”

Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed the election was “stolen” by Arab parties, but has offered little evidence. He called for a “national unity” government with Eisenkot on Saturday night. Netanyahu and his Cabinet will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a coalition is formed.

Why it matters

If Eisenkot cannot form a government, Netanyahu could be given a chance to try. If Netanyahu also fails, the country will return to elections early next spring. Israel’s new members of Knesset will be sworn in on Tuesday evening.

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Sources

• abcnews.com: Israel’s president officially gives opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the first chance to form the next government - ABC News
• rfi.fr: Ex-army chief Eisenkot given first chance to form government in Israel - RFI
• timesofindia.indiatimes.com: Gadi Eisenkot officially gets first chance to form Israel’s next government - The Times of India
• heraldscotland.com: Israeli president gives Eisenkot first chance to form next government | The Herald
• huntspost.co.uk: Israeli president gives Eisenkot first chance to form next government | The Hunts Post

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