“It’s time to form a national emergency government. I’ll do everything possible to live up to the responsibility entrusted to us.”
Gadi Eisenkot wrote on X, Sky TG24 reported. President Isaac Herzog has chosen the opposition leader to form Israel’s next government, with the formal mandate ceremony set for Sunday at 5 p.m. at the presidential residence.
The decision follows two days of consultations in which parties representing 67 of the Knesset’s 120 members recommended Eisenkot, while 46 backed outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sky TG24 reported. Netanyahu now steps aside while Eisenkot attempts to assemble a majority.
Netanyahu Calls for Unity, Eisenkot Dismisses It as Propaganda
Just before the presidential announcement, Netanyahu released a video statement calling for “a national unity government that includes all the parties of the national camp and all Zionist parties,” ANSA reported. He warned that an executive depending on Hamas supporters “will not fight Hamas.”
Eisenkot answered the appeal by telling Netanyahu that if the Likud is “suddenly interested in unity,” its members are welcome to publicly dissolve their alliance with extremists Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich and accept Eisenkot’s principles, ANSA reported. “Until then, this is nothing but pathetic propaganda,” Eisenkot wrote.
67 to 46: The Knesset Arithmetic Eisenkot Must Navigate
The Likud was the most-voted party in the late-October elections, but its right-wing bloc stopped at 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s opposition alliance reached 48, Il Post reported. During consultations, the Change Bloc and other parties totaling 67 members backed Eisenkot, versus 46 for Netanyahu, Sky TG24 reported. The United Torah Judaism party chose to recommend no candidate, ANSA noted.
Two Arab parties—the Islamist Ra’am and the Joint List—won a combined 19 seats and both indicated Eisenkot, Il Post reported. However, Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beiteinu, part of the Change Bloc, opened the door to discussing ultra-Orthodox military enlistment, a move that could block a minority government dependent on Arab parties, ANSA reported.
Four Conditions and a 28-Day Deadline
Eisenkot now has 28 days under Basic Law to form a government, with the president authorized to grant an extension of up to 14 additional days, ANSA reported. The formal handover takes place Sunday at 5 p.m. Israeli time.
President Herzog will task a Knesset member with forming the government on Sunday. He hasn't said who. Gadi Eisenkot holds 67 recommendations. Netanyahu holds 46. Herzog: "The results of the consultations may appear clear, but the authority vested in me by law is to determine… https://t.co/RqPA1JUtko”
To join his coalition, Eisenkot has set four conditions: recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, committing to the values of the Declaration of Independence, explicitly condemning Hamas as a terrorist organization, and accepting mandatory military or civil service for all citizens, Il Post reported.
The General Who Would Lead: Eisenkot’s Record and Platform
At 66, Eisenkot is a retired general described as austere and lacking charisma, whose seriousness propelled him to lead the opposition, RaiNews reported. A mizrahi Jew of Moroccan descent raised in Israel’s geographic periphery, he would be the country’s first Sephardic prime minister. During the 2006 Lebanon War, he devised the “Dahiya doctrine” targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut. He has declared there will be no Palestinian state, defended West Bank settlements, pledged to end Hamas’s rule in Gaza within 18 months, and promised a universal national service law, stronger LGBTQ+ rights, and protection of judicial independence.
Israel’s Government Formation: Key Questions Answered
How long does Eisenkot have to form a government?
He has 28 days under Israel’s Basic Law, with the possibility of a 14-day extension granted by the president, according to ANSA.
What are Eisenkot’s conditions for coalition partners?
Il Post reports he requires parties to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, uphold the Declaration of Independence, condemn Hamas as a terrorist organization, and accept universal military or civil service.
Which parties backed Eisenkot during consultations?
Parties representing 67 Knesset members recommended him, including the Change Bloc and the Arab parties Ra’am and the Joint List, which together hold 19 seats, according to Sky TG24 and Il Post.
What did Netanyahu say after losing the mandate?
In a video statement reported by ANSA, he called for a national unity government including all national camp and Zionist parties, warning that governments dependent on Islamists would dismantle Israel from within.
“A government that depends on those who hate Judaism will not preserve Israel as a Jewish state.”
Netanyahu said in his video statement, ANSA reported.
More on Gadi Eisenkot
Former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot received the backing of 67 of the Knesset's 120 members for the first chance to form Israel's next government. The recommendations were delivered to President Isaac Herzog.
#BreakingNews | Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot has secured the backing of a majority of Knesset members to become Israel’s next Prime Minister. Following consultations with President Isaac Herzog, Eisenkot is now poised to receive the mandate to form the next government… pic.twitter.com/ighZ9PS8cG
It means President Herzog has given Gadi Eisenkot the first official mandate to try forming a governing coalition after he received recommendations from 67 MKs versus 46 for Netanyahu. Eisenkot now has 28 days (plus a possible 14-day extension) to assemble a majority of at least…
ICYMI: President Herzog has completed consultations with all Knesset parties. Gadi Eisenkot received 67 recommendations, compared with 46 for Benjamin Netanyahu. United Torah Judaism, holding 7 seats, declined to endorse either candidate.