Gadi Eisenkot , a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), has been given the chance to form Israel’s next government after President Isaac Herzog selected him following the inconclusive October 27 election. If successful, the 66-year-old leader of the Yashar party will replace Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.
Herzog announced his decision on Saturday, November 7, after meeting political leaders to assess who had the best chance of forming a coalition. He will have 28 days to build a government, with a possible extension of up to 14 days. Eisenkot is due to formally receive the mandate at the President’s Residence at 5pm on Sunday.
The challenge is considerable. Eisenkot had also criticised Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict and called for a plan to secure the release of Israeli hostages. His positions on the Palestinians, however, are hawkish. He has also opposed formal annexation of the occupied West Bank and called for action against unauthorised settlement outposts and settler violence. If Eisenkot fails, Herzog can give another lawmaker the opportunity to form a government. Netanyahu could then get another chance. For now, Eisenkot has the first opportunity to try to end Netanyahu’s time in office, but his selection does not guarantee that he will become prime minister.
Eisenkot’s opposition bloc won 48 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while Netanyahu’s camp secured 53. Arab-led parties won 19 seats and could prove important in coalition talks. A government needs the support of at least 61 lawmakers. Eisenkot entered politics in 2022, joining the National Unity party led by former military chief Benny Gantz. After Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, he joined Netanyahu’s emergency war cabinet as a non-voting observer. He left the cabinet with Gantz in June 2024, arguing that the government lacked a clear strategy for the war and its aftermath. Earlier reporting noted: Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Saturday tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government, giving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s main challenger the first opportunity to assemble a coalition after the October 27 election produced no clear parliamentary majority. Earlier reporting noted: Eisenkot, a former military chief and head of the Yashar party, secured the backing of representatives from parties accounting for 67 lawmakers during consultations with Herzog. Netanyahu, whose Likud party emerged as the largest in parliament with 27 seats, received recommendations from factions representing 46 lawmakers. His broader bloc holds 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while Eisenkot’s opposition bloc has 48. A majority requires 61 seats.
He opposes a two-state solution and has said Hamas’s rule in Gaza must end.
Earlier reporting noted: Israeli president Herzog picks Netanyahu’s rival Gadi Eisenkot to form next government .
