In a country long accustomed to political stalemate, the Israeli president has placed the task of forming a government in the hands of Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who now stands as Benjamin Netanyahu's most serious challenger. The October election left neither camp with enough seats to govern, and the arithmetic now turns on a question older than the vote itself: whether a divided nation can gather behind a leader who promises unity, and whether that unity will reach the Arab parties who hold the balance. The next weeks will test whether Israel can build a government or must return
Israel's President Taps Netanyahu Rival Gadi Eisenkot to Try Forming Government
Neither man with a clear path to power
Mark
Why does this appointment matter if neither side has a majority?
Mimi
Because the mandate gives Eisenkot the first formal chance to build a coalition. Netanyahu's bloc is larger, 53 seats to 48, but the president chose Eisenkot to try.
Luke
Worth noting the source doesn't say why Herzog chose him. We have the announcement and the seat counts, not the reasoning.
Mark
What role do the Arab lists play?
Mimi
Both endorsed Eisenkot in consultations with Herzog, and they made unprecedented gains. That could make them kingmakers.
Luke
Could, though. It's unclear whether Eisenkot's bloc would accept their support, so that endorsement doesn't yet translate into a majority.
Mark
How would you describe Eisenkot's politics?
Mimi
Mixed. He wants to confront violent settlers and calls it Jewish terror, but he opposes a Palestinian state and wants Hamas's military wing destroyed.
Luke
And the Dahiya doctrine is his own design from 2006. That's part of the record voters and coalition partners will weigh.
Mark
What happens if he fails?
Mimi
He has 28 days, plus a possible 14-day extension. Then the mandate goes to someone else, and if nobody succeeds, new elections.
Luke
Which would be the sixth round since 2019. Whether it gets there is simply unknown right now.
O Pulso
- Neither bloc reached the 61 seats needed, leaving parliament locked in a stalemate that has pushed the country toward yet another election.
- Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a majority, with a possible 14-day extension, and the clock is already running.
- Arab-majority lists, who made historic gains, could become kingmakers, forcing a painful question about whether Eisenkot's own bloc will accept their backing.
- Eisenkot is campaigning for a 'national emergency government' while vowing to crack down on violent settlers, and the outcome now hinges on whether that appeal can hold together a fractured coalition.
In a country long accustomed to political stalemate, the Israeli president has placed the task of forming a government in the hands of Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who now stands as Benjamin Netanyahu's most serious challenger. The October election left neither camp with enough seats to govern, and the arithmetic now turns on a question older than the vote itself: whether a divided nation can gather behind a leader who promises unity, and whether that unity will reach the Arab parties who hold the balance. The next weeks will test whether Israel can build a government or must return to the polls once again.
On Saturday night, the office of President Isaac Herzog announced that he would task Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, with forming a government. The formal appointment is set for Sunday in Jerusalem, and it places Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest rival in position to try to unseat him.
The decision comes after an October 27 election that left the Knesset deadlocked. Netanyahu's bloc lost its majority but remained the largest, with 53 of 120 seats, while Eisenkot's opposition won 48. Eisenkot, 66 and a former military chief of staff, called for a 'national emergency government' and pledged to be worthy of the task.
In his consultations with Herzog, Eisenkot won the endorsement of both Arab-majority lists, whose unprecedented gains could make them decisive. Whether his own bloc will accept their support is unresolved and may define the weeks ahead.
Eisenkot has cast himself as a unifier after a divisive Netanyahu era, promising to confront extremist settlers and calling recent attacks 'Jewish terror.' He is no dove, however: he opposes a Palestinian state, vows to end Hamas rule in Gaza, and is associated with the 'Dahiya doctrine' from the 2006 Lebanon war.
The clock is ticking. If he cannot assemble 61 votes within 28 days, plus any extension, the mandate passes to someone else, and failing that, Israel faces its sixth election since 2019.
On Saturday night, the office of Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that he had told Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, of his intention to task him with forming a government. The formal appointment is to take place Sunday at a ceremony at the president's residence in Jerusalem. The choice puts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest rival in position to try to unseat him.
The decision follows an election on 27 October that left parliament deadlocked. Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition lost its majority but still emerged as the largest bloc, with 53 of the Knesset's 120 seats. Eisenkot's wide-ranging opposition bloc won 48. Neither side is close to the 61 needed to govern. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving premier, is fighting to hold on to office.
Eisenkot's first public reaction came on X. "Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything to ensure we are worthy," he wrote. He is 66 and served as the military's chief of staff from 2015 to 2019.
In consultations with Herzog, Eisenkot received endorsements from both Arab-majority lists. Those parties made unprecedented gains in the vote and could now play kingmaker. Whether Eisenkot's own bloc would accept their support in forming a government is unclear, and it may be the central question of the coming weeks.
Eisenkot has presented himself as a figure who can unite Israelis after Netanyahu's divisive tenure, during which the country moved sharply to the right. He has promised to crack down on extremist West Bank settlers who have attacked Palestinians with impunity. He has described recent incidents as "Jewish terror" abetted by Netanyahu's government.
He is not, however, a dove. Eisenkot opposes the creation of a Palestinian state. He has vowed to end Hamas's rule in Gaza and to destroy the movement's military wing. As commander during the 2006 war with Hezbollah, he devised the so-called "Dahiya doctrine," named for a Beirut suburb heavily damaged in that war. It involves Israel vowing to use massive force against civilian infrastructure in areas controlled by Hezbollah.
The clock starts with the appointment. Eisenkot will have 28 days to assemble the 61 votes required for a government. If he falls short, Herzog can grant a 14-day extension, after which the mandate must be offered to someone else.
If neither side succeeds, Israel heads to fresh elections. The country already held five elections between 2019 and 2022 because of repeated deadlocks. The thing to watch is whether Eisenkot's bloc can bring itself to rely on the Arab lists, since the arithmetic may leave it little choice.
Citações Notáveis
Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything to ensure we are worthy.— Gadi Eisenkot, on X
Quer a matéria completa?
Leia o original em The Guardian ↗
Politics & Governance