Herzog Asks Eisenkot to Form Israel’s Next Government, Passing Over Netanyahu

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has asked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government, passing over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The move gives Eisenkot the first chance to build a coalition after last month’s deadlocked election. Herzog told him of the decision on Saturday evening, and the formal mandate was due to be handed over at a ceremony on Sunday, 8 November.

The decision is a major setback for Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. However, Eisenkot still faces a difficult path to a working majority.

Why Herzog chose Eisenkot to form the government

Before making his choice, Herzog consulted every party elected to the Knesset, Israel’s 120-seat parliament. Lawmakers representing 67 seats recommended Eisenkot, Al Jazeera reported. By contrast, Netanyahu received the backing of 46.

That total for Eisenkot includes the Arab-led parties. They had said earlier in the week that they would recommend him, mainly to end Netanyahu’s rule. Representatives of most major parties also backed Eisenkot, PBS NewsHour reported, citing the Associated Press.

An election with no clear winner

The 27 October election left neither camp with a majority. Eisenkot’s four-party alliance won 48 seats. Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc took 53. Meanwhile, Arab-led parties won a record 19 seats, including 11 for the Joint List.

A government needs the support of at least 61 lawmakers. As a result, the Arab-led parties have become possible kingmakers. An Arab party has joined an Israeli governing coalition only once before.

Eisenkot’s options and obstacles

Eisenkot, who leads the Yashar party, has ruled out sitting in government with the Arab-led parties. That leaves him two main routes, according to Al Jazeera and the Associated Press.

First, he could try to bring the ultra-Orthodox parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, into his camp. Together they would give him exactly 61 seats. Second, he could lead a minority government that relies on outside support from Arab-led parties in key votes. Yet some of his allies have said they would reject that model.

“This is the time to establish a national emergency government,” Eisenkot said, according to the AP. He did not set out the make-up of such a government.

Deep divisions could also block a deal. These include military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men. Another is Netanyahu’s opposition to a formal state inquiry into the security failures around the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack.

Netanyahu hits back

Netanyahu reacted in a prerecorded video. “Such a government, dependent on Islamists, will dismantle the state of Israel from within,” he warned, as quoted by Al Jazeera. He also called for a “national unity government”.

Arab lawmakers rejected his claims. Ahmad Tibi of the Joint List said Herzog’s decision was “expected”. He added that he expects a minority government with outside Arab support. Tibi said his priority was to end the current government, including far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Who is Gadi Eisenkot?

Eisenkot served as chief of staff of the Israeli military from 2015 to 2019. After the Hamas attack in October 2023, he joined Netanyahu’s war cabinet as an observer for about eight months. He later left and became one of the prime minister’s sharpest critics.

What happens next

Eisenkot now has 28 days to put together a coalition. Herzog can extend that by a further 14 days. If he fails, the president can pick another candidate. If that also fails, a majority of lawmakers can back a third person, who gets a final 14 days.

Should every attempt fail, Israel would have to hold a new election within 90 days. In that case, Netanyahu would stay on as caretaker prime minister. For now, coalition talks are set to dominate Israeli politics in the weeks ahead. The outcome will also matter for the region, from Gaza to the wider conflict with Iran.