Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Saturday that he had selected opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to try to form the country’s next government. The move gives Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival the first chance to build a coalition after an election that produced no clear winner.
Herzog announced the decision Nov. 7, with the formal handover of the mandate set for 5 p.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 8. Eisenkot will have 28 days to put together a government and may be granted an additional two weeks.
The appointment could be an important step toward ending Netanyahu’s time in office. But coalition talks are likely to be difficult, with the parties hoping to replace him divided on several major issues.
After two days of discussions with members of the newly elected parliament, Herzog said Thursday that lawmakers representing 67 of the Knesset’s 120 seats had backed Eisenkot, who leads the Yashar party. Netanyahu was recommended by 46 lawmakers. Seven members of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party declined to support either candidate.
Herzog said the recommendations might seem decisive, but warned that competing demands and political vetoes made the path to a new government uncertain.
And the 67 recommendations do not amount to a 67-seat coalition. Likud won 27 seats in the Oct. 27 election, making it the largest party, while Netanyahu’s broader bloc secured 53. The four-party alliance seeking to replace him won 48 seats.
The other lawmakers who recommended Eisenkot came from two Arab-led parties, the Joint List and Ra’am, which together hold 19 seats. Their backing creates a problem for some of Eisenkot’s potential partners, who have said they will not rely on Arab parties to form a government.
In a lengthy statement Friday, Eisenkot said he planned to establish what he called a National Emergency Government. It would initially bring together the four parties committed to replacing Netanyahu, while allowing others to join later.
“Israel is facing a genuine, tangible and dangerous national emergency,” Eisenkot said. He accused the outgoing government of putting Israeli democracy at risk and said continued instability could worsen the country’s security and diplomatic problems.
Eisenkot said talks with his partners had made substantial progress, though negotiations were continuing. He outlined four principles for the proposed government: recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state; support for the values in the Declaration of Independence; universal military, national or civilian service; and recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization, along with a commitment to dismantle its military and governing capabilities.
He said lawmakers from across the political spectrum would be welcome to join if they accepted those principles. Still, even within the bloc opposing Netanyahu, there is no agreement on how to secure enough parliamentary support to govern.
One possible opening emerged Friday, when Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the secular nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party, indicated he might compromise on military conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jews. His party’s opposition to concessions on the issue has long made cooperation with religious parties difficult.
In a post on X, Lieberman said preventing another election and ending Netanyahu’s tenure would require difficult compromises. He set out three conditions: ending the Netanyahu era, avoiding another election and not forming a government that depends on the Joint List and Ra’am abstaining.
On other issues, including the divisive military draft law, Lieberman said political leaders needed to be willing to make concessions.
His shift could create room for talks with United Torah Judaism. The party’s seven lawmakers did not recommend Netanyahu, despite its longstanding alliance with him. Party leader Yaakov Asher welcomed Lieberman’s flexibility on Friday, but said his party had not received a specific proposal. Any deal, he added, would need approval from its religious leadership.
Military conscription remains a central sticking point. Ultra-Orthodox parties have sought legal protections for yeshiva students who study religious texts instead of serving, while Eisenkot and several of his partners campaigned for a broader service requirement.
Even if United Torah Judaism joined the four-party opposition bloc, Eisenkot would still be short of the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. The religious Shas party, which has six seats, recommended Netanyahu.
Another option would be a minority government supported by abstentions from parties outside the coalition. Eisenkot’s allies have discussed that possibility, but Lieberman has ruled it out if it relies on the Arab factions.
That disagreement points to the main challenge ahead: a majority of lawmakers want Eisenkot to get the first chance to form a government, but they have not settled on what that government would look like.
Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister while negotiations continue. He has also questioned aspects of the election results amid an investigation into suspected voting irregularities. Israel’s Central Elections Committee said the integrity of the vote had not been compromised, according to a Nov. 5 report.
Receiving the mandate would be a significant moment for Eisenkot. Turning the support he has received into a functioning government, though, will mean finding common ground on contentious issues, especially military service and cooperation with Arab lawmakers.
If the parties cannot resolve those differences, Israel could remain in political deadlock and may face another election.
