JERUSALEM — Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced Saturday that he has tasked former military chief Gadi Eisenkot with forming the country's next government, delivering a significant political setback to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nearly two weeks after parliamentary elections. The decision, reported by Breitbart and confirmed by other outlets, comes after Herzog met with party leaders to hear their recommendations.
According to Al Jazeera, some 67 lawmakers endorsed Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, to form the next government, while only 46 backed Netanyahu. Herzog formally handed Eisenkot the mandate at a ceremony on Sunday. Eisenkot now has 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to assemble a coalition of at least 61 of the Knesset's 120 seats — the minimum threshold for a government.
The October 27 election produced a fragmented Knesset. Eisenkot's four-party alliance won 48 seats, while Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc secured 53, leaving both short of the 61 needed for a majority. Arab-led parties, representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, won a record 19 seats, according to Al Jazeera.
Eisenkot has ruled out forming a government with the Arab-led parties, which would have given him a 67-seat bloc. Instead, he must court the two ultra-Orthodox parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, which would give him exactly 61 seats. That path is complicated by longstanding tensions between secular and religious parties.
Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh, reporting from Ramallah, said Herzog "took the predictable route" in selecting Eisenkot, as he had the highest number of recommendations. "The hard work will begin now for Eisenkot to put together a government that can pass a vote of confidence at the Knesset that: one, will not break too many of the promises he made on the campaign trail; and two, that can survive the opposition of the right-wing bloc led by Netanyahu," Odeh said.
The Washington Post notes that if Eisenkot fails to form a government within the allotted time, Herzog will nominate another candidate. If the second nominee fails, a parliament majority can back a third candidate, who will be granted a final 14 days. If no government is formed, a new election will be called within 90 days, with Netanyahu staying on as caretaker prime minister. The Post also reports that Netanyahu is likely to get his chance if Eisenkot fails.
CNN characterized the development as a setback for Netanyahu, placing his rival "one step closer to ousting Israel's longest-serving leader, even as the path remains complicated." The network noted that Netanyahu's coalition lost its majority in the October elections, and no party received enough seats to form a government outright.
Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, entered politics in 2019 and has positioned himself as a centrist alternative to Netanyahu. He has criticized Netanyahu's handling of security and legal issues, though he has not ruled out serving in a government with him under certain conditions. The Yashar party leader has vowed to pursue a more consensus-based approach to governance.
The political deadlock comes amid heightened tensions in the region and ongoing challenges facing Israel, including security threats from Iran and its proxies. Netanyahu, who has served as prime minister for a total of more than 15 years, has vowed to continue leading the country and has dismissed the election results as inconclusive.
It is not yet known whether Eisenkot will succeed in forming a coalition, or whether Israel will be forced into another election cycle. The coming weeks will be critical as he negotiates with potential partners.
Our Take
This is a bitter pill for conservatives who have stood with Benjamin Netanyahu through thick and thin. Bibi has been a steadfast ally of the United States, a bulwark against Iranian aggression, and a leader who put Israel's security first. Now, a former general with no political mandate of his own — Eisenkot's party won just 48 seats — is being handed the keys to the castle, propped up by a president who seems eager to move on from the Netanyahu era.
But this is not a done deal. Eisenkot's coalition math is a nightmare. He has ruled out the Arab-led parties that endorsed him, leaving him begging the ultra-Orthodox parties he once criticized to bail him out. And even if he stitches together 61 seats, his government will be fragile, hostage to every demand from Shas and United Torah Judaism.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration and its allies in the legacy media are surely celebrating. They have long wanted Netanyahu gone — he was too effective at exposing the Obama-Biden Iran deal, too independent for the globalists, too popular with American patriots. But their glee may be premature. If Eisenkot fails, Netanyahu gets another shot, and the Israeli people may yet have their say again. The only thing certain is that Israel's enemies are watching, and they see weakness. Americans should keep a close eye on this — a weakened Israel is a weakened Middle East, and that never ends well for us.
