Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government, passing over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Herzog announced the decision on Saturday after consultations with parliamentary factions showed 67 of 120 members recommended Eisenkot, while only 46 backed Netanyahu. The formal mandate will be handed over at a ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, will have 28 days to assemble a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.
In the October 27 election, Netanyahu's Likud party won 27 seats, the most of any single party. His religious-nationalist coalition secured only 53 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, short of the 61 needed for a majority. Eisenkot's four-party alliance won 48 seats. Two Arab-led parties won 19 seats and endorsed Eisenkot during the consultations, despite his bloc's refusal to formally join forces with them.
Netanyahu called on the opposition to form a "government of national unity". The proposed coalition would include his Likud party, two ultra-Orthodox parties and two far-right parties. He warned that a government dependent on Arab parties would destroy Israel from within. Eisenkot dismissed the appeal as a "cheap PR stunt," saying Netanyahu only speaks of unity now that his days in office are counted.
Eisenkot, 66, is a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces who led the military from 2015 to 2019. The son of Moroccan immigrants, he would be Israel's first prime minister from the Mizrahi community. He briefly served in Netanyahu's wartime cabinet following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack before returning to the opposition. His son and two nephews were killed fighting in Gaza.
To reach a majority, Eisenkot must secure support from either the Arab parties, which would give him 67 seats, or the two ultra-Orthodox parties. United Torah Judaism and Shas would bring his total to exactly 61. United Torah Judaism, a former Netanyahu ally, declined to endorse him during the consultations. Alternatively, he could form a minority government with external support from the Arab parties.
If Eisenkot fails to form a government within 42 days, Herzog can nominate another candidate for 28 days. If that fails, a parliamentary majority can back a third candidate for a final 14 days. If no government is formed, new elections will be called within 90 days, with Netanyahu remaining as caretaker prime minister.
Ahmad Tibi, a senior member of the Joint List, said Herzog's decision was "expected." He said Arab-led parties endorsed Eisenkot to bring down the government of Netanyahu and his far-right allies. Tibi said he believes Eisenkot is headed for a minority government with external support from the Arab parties.
