Eisenkot Unveils Agenda to Reverse Netanyahu Policies as New Knesset Is Sworn In

On Tuesday, as Israel's newly elected lawmakers took their oaths, Gadi Eisenkot stood before the Knesset and said what he intends to do with the power he has been asked to assemble. Eisenkot, a former military chief, is the politician now tasked with forming the next government, and he pledged to reverse many of Benjamin Netanyahu's policies.

The clock is set. Eisenkot has up to six weeks to put together a coalition that would end the tenure of Israel's longest-serving prime minister. Whether he can manage it is still unclear. But the new Knesset does not have to wait for a government to act, and Netanyahu's opponents now hold a solid majority in the chamber.

Eisenkot's bloc used the opening of the session to introduce a set of bills aimed at Netanyahu and his record. One would launch an official government-led inquiry into Hamas's attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. Another would set term limits on the office of prime minister. A third would overturn the changes made by the outgoing Netanyahu-led government to limit the powers of the judiciary. How quickly, or how far, any of them will advance in the coming weeks was not immediately clear.

The bloc also began a process to replace the speaker. A majority of members submitted signatures calling for the removal of Amir Ohana, the Netanyahu-backed incumbent, which is the first step toward a vote on a successor. That vote can happen even without a coalition government in place. The post carries real weight: the speaker decides which bills the Knesset takes up, so a speaker drawn from Eisenkot's side could move its agenda along. The opposition nominated Matan Kahana, a senior member of Eisenkot's Yashar party, and a vote on appointing him could come as early as this week.

Eisenkot, who campaigned as a no-nonsense straight shooter, framed his goal as a government all Israelis can trust rather than one serving certain factions. Ahead of the ceremony he said, in effect, that he would act for all citizens, those who voted for him and those who did not, out of deep commitment.

Netanyahu offered a different message. His bloc fell short of a majority, and he has sought to undermine the certified election results, repeating unsubstantiated claims that Arab-led parties "stole" the vote. In a speech after the ceremony, he went after opposition leaders who have signaled a willingness to partner with Arab parties. Eisenkot has left that door open, on conditions that include accepting Israel's identity as a Jewish state and declaring Hamas a terrorist group. Netanyahu asked whether they were prepared to depend on those whose goal, he said, was the destruction of the Jewish state. Eisenkot called the speech divisive and hate-filled.

The swearing-in opens an unusual stretch in Israeli politics. Netanyahu and his Cabinet stay in office as a caretaker government, while the new lawmakers are free to legislate. Netanyahu faces court-imposed limits on his powers in that role, but he can still pursue appointments and could try to block new legislation. He keeps full authority over national security, including the military. He renewed his argument that Jewish-led parties should form a unity government to meet the threat of an Iranian attack, urging them to set aside all other considerations, and said Israel should work to topple the Iranian government.

Eisenkot now turns to meetings with party leaders. If he fails to build a coalition within the allotted time, President Isaac Herzog is expected to give Netanyahu the next chance. The first test may come this week, with the vote on the speaker.