Israeli President Tasks Gadi Eisenkot With Forming New Government

Israel's president has picked Gadi Eisenkot, the chief rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to try and form a new government following a deadlocked election. President Isaac Herzog's spokesperson announced that Mr. Eisenkot was invited to the President's Residence to be tasked with forming the government. The October 27 election left neither leader with a clear path to power, as Mr. Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition lost its majority while still emerging as the largest bloc in parliament. Likud won 27 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, but Mr. Netanyahu's wider coalition garnered only 53 seats total, falling short of the 61-seat majority. Meanwhile, Mr. Eisenkot's Yashar party won 21 seats as the second-largest party, and his four-party coalition won 48 seats. Two parties representing Israel's Arab minority won an unprecedented 19 seats.

Challenges and Options Ahead

Mr. Eisenkot, a 66-year-old former military chief and leader of the Yashar party, has declined to join forces with Arab parties. Even though Arab support would have given him a majority in parliament, Arab leaders still nominated Mr. Eisenkot to try to form a government first because they are incensed by the policies of Mr. Netanyahu and his far-right allies. Protracted negotiations are now expected to follow. Mr. Eisenkot has 28 days to forge a government, with a possible 14-day extension. His potential pathways include forming a minority government with outside Arab support, partnering with ultra-Orthodox parties he has shunned before, or forging a unity government with Mr. Netanyahu, though analysts consider all three options unlikely.

Background and Personal History

A son of Moroccan immigrants, Mr. Eisenkot would be the country's first Prime Minister from Israel's Mizrahi community if he succeeds. He entered politics in 2022 and briefly served in Mr. Netanyahu's wartime cabinet following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas before returning to the opposition. He has publicly rebuked Mr. Netanyahu's leadership and management of the Gaza military campaign, swearing he would not serve in government with him. His family has paid a heavy personal price since 2023, as a son and two nephews were killed fighting in Gaza. On the campaign trail, he highlighted his security credentials, citing his Dahiyeh doctrine from the 2006 Lebanon war. He has also criticized settler violence against Palestinians and opposes far-right partners Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Context

Israel operates under a parliamentary system where political parties must form coalitions to reach the 61-seat majority needed to govern the 120-seat Knesset. When elections result in deadlocked outcomes without a clear majority bloc, the president steps in to task a leading candidate with coalition talks, starting a strict timeline of weeks of negotiation before alternative political options are triggered.