The former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot on Tuesday said he had reached an agreement with fellow Opposition leaders – Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Lapid on candidates for key positions in the Knesset during the government formation period, with former minister and incoming Matan Kahana named as the candidate for Knesset speaker.
Reuters reported that all three of his likely routes to power face formidable obstacles. A party from Netanyahu’s camp holding the remaining seven seats did not recommend either candidate. “We must form a national emergency government.
President Isaac Herzog formally handed Eisenkot the mandate on November 8, after consultations with representatives of the parties elected to the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament. The October 27 election had left neither Eisenkot’s bloc nor Netanyahu’s alliance with enough seats to govern. Lawmakers representing 67 seats recommended Eisenkot, while representatives of 46 seats backed Netanyahu, according to Herzog’s office. Under Section 8 of Basic Law: The government, one of the laws that serve as Israel’s constitution, Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, and Herzog can extend the period by up to 14 days.
“I have reached an agreement with my partners, the leaders of the change and reform parties—Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Lapid—on the prospective candidates for key positions in the 26th Knesset during the period for forming a government,” Eisenkot posted on X. Eisenkot further said the agreement names Roy Folkman as chair of the house committee, former defense minister and Avigdor Lieberman as chair of the foreign affairs and defense committee, and incoming Liran Avisar Ben-Horrin as chair of the finance committee. Eisenkot said on November 8 that he would work to form a “wide” government as quickly as possible, Reuters reported. This will require creative and unconventional political steps,” he said, according to AFP.
He said the composition of the Knesset committees would be discussed and finalised during the house committee’s deliberations this week before being submitted for approval by the Knesset plenum next Wednesday.
