Israeli President Taps Former Military Chief Gadi Eisenkot to Form New Government, Overlooking Netanyahu

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has appointed former army chief Gadi Eisenkot to lead the formation of the country’s next government, notably bypassing incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. President Herzog conveyed this decision to Eisenkot on Saturday evening, with a formal mandate ceremony scheduled for Sunday, according to a statement from the president’s spokesperson. This move follows a week of consultations by Herzog with all political parties to determine who would be tasked with forming a government after neither side achieved a majority in the general election held on October 27. Eisenkot, who leads the Yashar party, received recommendations from parties representing 67 lawmakers, in contrast to the 46 recommendations for Netanyahu’s bloc, the statement indicated. Eisenkot is now granted 28 days, with a potential 14-day extension, to assemble a coalition commanding at least 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, the minimum requirement for government formation. In the October election, Eisenkot’s four-party alliance secured 48 seats, while Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc obtained 53 seats, both falling short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. Notably, Arab-led parties, representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, achieved a record 19 seats. The president's decision on Saturday came just hours after Netanyahu issued a warning that a government formed by opposition parties, with the backing of Arab-led parties, could lead to Israel's collapse. Eisenkot has previously stated his intention not to form a government with the Arab-led parties, which would have provided him with a 67-seat bloc. Securing the support of the two ultra-Orthodox parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, would bring his bloc to exactly 61 seats. Eisenkot previously served as the head of Israel’s military from 2015 to 2019 and participated as an observer in Netanyahu’s war cabinet during the initial eight months of the war on Gaza.