Israel's new parliament opens as Eisenkot pushes to form government

Israel's 26th parliament convened on Tuesday with plans to target caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his rival Gadi Eisenkot works to form a new government. Mr. Eisenkot leads a broad left-to-right bloc and will control the agenda in the Knesset with support from Israeli-Arab parties. Neither Mr. Eisenkot nor Mr. Netanyahu holds a majority on their own.

Government Formation

President Isaac Herzog gave Mr. Eisenkot the mandate on Sunday to form a government within 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension. Mr. Eisenkot stated his commitment to form a national-emergency government quickly. President Herzog opened the session and urged all sides to avoid a fresh election in a deeply polarised country weary from three years of war, noting that nearly 80 percent of the people went to the polls. Mr. Eisenkot's core bloc holds 48 seats, while Mr. Netanyahu has 46 seats after United Torah Judaism stopped short of recommitting to him. Mr. Eisenkot needs 61 votes to become Prime Minister.

Parliament Leadership

Mr. Eisenkot's bloc announced agreements to replace allies of Mr. Netanyahu. Lawmakers plan to install Matan Kahana as parliament speaker, with support from Arab-Israeli parties. Avigdor Liberman will be nominated as chair of the foreign affairs and defence committee. Mr. Liberman refuses to join a government that relies on Arab-Israelis, creating complications for the coalition. Mr. Eisenkot's allies also plan to use their legislative power to launch a commission investigating security failures under Mr. Netanyahu that allowed the October 7, 2023 attack.

Context

Israel's political system relies on coalition governments because single parties rarely win an outright majority in the Knesset. Negotiating alliances among diverse factions often takes weeks of intense bargaining after an election. The current political shifts follow years of intense polarization and ongoing conflict in the region.