Israel picks Eisenkot to form new government
President Isaac Herzog chose Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's rival, to try forming a new government after a deadlocked election left neither with a majority.
At a glance
- President Isaac Herzog chose Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's rival, to form a new government.
- Eisenkot's bloc won 48 seats while Netanyahu's camp secured 53 in the Oct 27 election.
- Eisenkot has 28 days to secure 61 votes; failure triggers new elections.
On Saturday night, President Isaac Herzog informed Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, of his intention to task him with forming a government. The formal appointment takes place Sunday at the president's residence in Jerusalem. Eisenkot, Netanyahu's strongest rival, will now attempt to unite Israelis after Netanyahu's divisive tenure moved the country sharply to the right.
Netanyahu is fighting to hold on to office after his religious-nationalist coalition lost its majority in an election on October 27 but still emerged as the largest bloc in parliament. Eisenkot's wide-ranging opposition bloc won 48 of the Israeli parliament's 120 seats, while Netanyahu's camp secured 53, leaving neither with a majority. During party consultations with Herzog, Eisenkot received the endorsements of both Arab-majority lists, who could now play kingmakers after making unprecedented gains in the vote. But it remains unclear if Eisenkot's bloc would accept support from the Arab lists in forming a government.
Eisenkot's first reaction to the announcement was to write on X: "Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything to ensure we are worthy." As the military chief of staff from 2015 to 2019, Eisenkot has set out to unite Israelis after Netanyahu's tenure. He has vowed to crack down on extremist West Bank settlers who have attacked Palestinians with impunity, decrying recent incidents as "Jewish terror" abetted by Netanyahu's government.
However, the military man is no peacenik. He opposes the creation of a Palestinian state and vowed to end Hamas's rule in Gaza and destroy the Islamist movement's military wing. Commanding the military during the 2006 war with Hezbollah, Eisenkot devised the so-called "Dahiya doctrine," which involves Israel vowing to use massive force against civilian infrastructure in areas controlled by Hezbollah.
After his appointment, Eisenkot will have 28 days to come up with the 61 votes needed for a government. If he comes up short, Herzog can provide a 14-day extension before he has to offer the mandate to someone else. If neither side succeeds, Israel will head to fresh elections. The country held five elections between 2019 and 2022 due to repeated deadlocks.
Source: The Guardian.
Questions and answers
- Who did Israel's president choose to form a government?
- President Isaac Herzog chose Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, to form a new government.
- How many seats did Eisenkot's bloc win?
- Eisenkot's bloc won 48 seats in the Israeli parliament.
- What happens if Eisenkot cannot form a government?
- If he fails, Herzog can give a 14-day extension, and then new elections will be held.
