Israel's President Tasks Eisenkot With Forming Government, Setback for Netanyahu
President Isaac Herzog gives former military chief Gadi Eisenkot up to six weeks to build a coalition after neither his Yashar party nor Netanyahu's Likud won a parliamentary majority.
At a glance
- Israel's President Isaac Herzog has mandated Gadi Eisenkot to form a government after neither his Yashar party nor Netanyahu's Likud secured a parliamentary majority.
- Eisenkot, a former military chief and Netanyahu critic, has up to six weeks to assemble a 61-seat coalition in the 120-seat Knesset.
- If Eisenkot fails, another lawmaker may get a chance before a potential new election, with Netanyahu staying on as caretaker prime minister.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has assigned opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form the next government, dealing a political blow to incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The formal announcement is scheduled for 5 p.m. local time on Sunday.
Netanyahu's Likud party captured 27 seats in last month's general election, six more than Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party. However, neither faction reached the 61-seat threshold required for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, leaving the president to choose which leader would get the first opportunity to assemble a ruling coalition.
Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces who served from 2015 to 2019, brings a military and security background to the negotiations. He joined Netanyahu's emergency war cabinet after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks but resigned the following year, citing a lack of progress toward ending the war in Gaza and securing the release of hostages. Eisenkot also suffered personal loss during the conflict: his son Gal, a reservist, was killed in Gaza, along with two nephews.
The Yashar party, which Eisenkot founded on an anti-corruption and government-reform platform, now has 28 days to negotiate with rival parties, with a possible 14-day extension. That gives him up to six weeks to secure the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.
If Eisenkot fails, Herzog can authorize another lawmaker to attempt coalition-building. Should those efforts also collapse, Israel would face another election. In the interim, Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister.
Questions and answers
- Why did President Herzog choose Eisenkot over Netanyahu?
- Although Netanyahu's Likud won the most seats (27), neither Likud nor Eisenkot's Yashar party secured the 61-seat majority needed to govern, so Herzog gave the mandate to the opposition leader.
- How long does Eisenkot have to form a coalition?
- Eisenkot has 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, giving him up to six weeks to negotiate a 61-seat majority.
- What happens if Eisenkot cannot form a government?
- Herzog can ask another lawmaker to try; if that also fails, Israel would hold another election, with Netanyahu remaining caretaker prime minister until then.
