Eisenkot Declares Netanyahu Unfit for Office After Divisive Knesset Address

On Tuesday, as the 26th Knesset was sworn in, Gadi Eisenkot sat through a speech by caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and came away certain of one thing. In a post on X, the chairman of the Yashar party called it "delusional, divisive, hate-filled and shameful," and said Netanyahu had exploited a state occasion. He wrote that he was now even more convinced Netanyahu was unfit to remain in office "for even one minute more."

Netanyahu's address had opened the new parliament with a call for a national unity government. He pointed to growing security threats from Iran and said only a broad government could meet challenges of that magnitude. He also accused the Arab-led Joint List and Ra'am of seeking "the destruction of the Jewish state." Eisenkot read the speech as an effort to deepen divisions rather than bring parties together, and he renewed his own pledge to build a "national emergency government." His argument was that Netanyahu's continued leadership divides Israel and endangers its security.

The arithmetic behind the exchange is stubborn. The 120-member Knesset was seated after the October 27 general election, which left Netanyahu's right-wing alliance short of a majority. His Likud-led bloc of far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties won 53 seats. Eisenkot's centre-right Yashar and its partner factions hold 48. Arab-led parties control another 19 and have strongly opposed Netanyahu. Neither man has enough support to form a government.

President Isaac Herzog presided over the ceremony and spoke to the weight of the moment. "You must do everything to avoid a repeat election," he told lawmakers, urging them to reach out a hand for compromise even between rivals and to look upon one another with generosity. He also called for a thorough investigation into the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, which he described as a catastrophe, saying the Knesset was duty bound to leave no stone unturned.

Herzog had tasked Eisenkot with forming the next government on Sunday. Eisenkot has until December 6 to assemble a coalition and can seek a two-week extension to December 20. His routes are limited: a minority government backed by Arab parties, persuading ultra-Orthodox factions to join him, or negotiating a unity government with Netanyahu. The ultra-Orthodox parties have so far ruled out joining a government led by Eisenkot. If he fails, Herzog could ask Netanyahu to try again, and if both fail, another candidate could be given a chance before the country is forced into a new election.

Soon after the Knesset opened, Eisenkot and his allies filed several bills. One would create a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks. Another would impose term limits on the prime minister. They also proposed repealing the Netanyahu government's controversial judicial overhaul and other laws passed over the past four years. The inquiry may prove the sharpest point of conflict between the camps: Arab parties have backed an investigation, while Netanyahu has largely opposed one.

Among the lawmakers sworn in was Elisha Madan, a military reservist who lost both legs fighting in Gaza. He took the oath standing on prosthetic legs and received a standing ovation.

What to watch now is the December 6 deadline, whether any bloc moves from its stated position, and whether the inquiry bill forces a vote that divides the chamber further.