Eisenkot tasked with forming government as Knesset swears in new members
The opposition leader has 28 days to build a coalition after winning 67 votes of confidence, though his bloc lacks a parliamentary majority.
By Aiko Petrov ·
President Isaac Herzog formally appointed Gadi Eisenkot to form the next Israeli government on Sunday, setting a 28 day deadline for the former army chief to assemble a coalition. Eisenkot secured this mandate after receiving the backing of 67 members of the 120 seat Knesset, compared to 46 votes for incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The new parliament is scheduled to be sworn in on Tuesday, marking the start of a complex period of negotiations. Neither Eisenkot’s bloc nor Netanyahu’s command a majority. Eisenkot’s four party alliance won 48 seats in last month’s election, while Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats. This arithmetic leaves both leaders dependent on outside partners to cross the 61 seat threshold required to govern.
The election results introduced a new variable in Israeli politics: Arab led parties hold a record 19 seats between the United Arab List and the Joint List. This surge in representation gives these parties substantial leverage, even though Netanyahu has ruled out governing with them and three parties in Eisenkot’s coalition have opposed their inclusion.
Eisenkot has outlined four principles for potential coalition partners to join his proposed national emergency government. These include recognizing Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, accepting the Declaration of Independence, backing mandatory service for all communities, and recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization. Eisenkot described the task as requiring creative and unconventional political steps to remove Netanyahu from office.
The conscription principle presents a major hurdle. The ultra Orthodox United Torah Judaism and Shas parties, which together won 13 seats, have fiercely opposed changing the status quo that exempts full time religious students from military service. This issue was a central campaign promise for Eisenkot’s bloc but remains a point of contention with his potential ultra Orthodox partners.
Arab parties face their own difficulties with Eisenkot’s criteria. Both major Arab alliances emphasize equal civic rights and have not publicly recognized Hamas as a terrorist organization. Despite these ideological differences, the United Arab List, which won eight seats, has indicated willingness to join an Eisenkot led coalition. The Joint List, with 11 seats, has offered support from the outside.
Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu which won seven seats, has so far refused to join a minority government dependent on Arab MKs. This position complicates Eisenkot’s ability to build a stable majority without the ultra Orthodox parties, who would likely demand major concessions on conscription in exchange for their support.
Benjamin Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed. In a video released on Monday, he reiterated his call for a government of national unity led by himself. He stated that any Zionist party supporting Israel as a Jewish state would be eligible to join, while warning against reliance on what he called the Islamists.
Netanyahu specifically targeted the role of Arab parties in the coalition math. You cannot form a government with Hamas supporters, he said, reinforcing his stance against an Eisenkot government that relies on the 19 seats held by the United Arab List and the Joint List.
The Knesset will hold its inaugural session on Tuesday, where nearly half of the new MKs will be sworn in for the first time. The process of forming a government could take days or months, leaving a period of uncertainty as Eisenkot attempts to navigate the narrow margins between opposing blocs.
