Israel's President Asks Gadi Eisenkot to Form Government After Inconclusive Election

The Mandate

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has asked former military chief and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form a new government following an inconclusive election. The October 27 election left neither political camp with a clear parliamentary majority. Eisenkot, who is 66 years old, now has 28 days to build a governing coalition, with a possible extension of 14 days.

Election Results

Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party won 27 seats to remain the largest single party, but his wider religious-nationalist coalition secured only 53 seats. That total falls eight short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset. Meanwhile, Eisenkot's Yashar party won 21 seats, and four Jewish-led parties aligned with his camp secured 48 seats. Two parties representing Israel's Arab minority won a record 19 seats.

Consultations And Support

During consultations with President Herzog, 67 lawmakers recommended Eisenkot for the role, while 46 backed Netanyahu. The United Torah Judaism party chose not to endorse either candidate. Arab-led parties backed Eisenkot even though he was reluctant to bring them into a governing coalition. Herzog noted that these recommendations do not guarantee a functioning government due to deep disagreements between political blocs.

Context

Forming a government in Israel typically requires building a broad coalition of multiple political parties to reach the required majority in parliament. Political deadlocks often happen when fragmented election results prevent any single bloc from easily securing enough support to rule.