Gadi Eisenkot
Eisenkot receives mandate to replace Netanyahu as ‘Israel's’ prime minister
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- ‘Israeli’ President Isaac Herzog formally tasked Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming ‘Israel's’ next government.
- Eisenkot has 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.
- He received 67 recommendations from incoming lawmakers, compared with 46 for Benjamin Netanyahu.
‘Israeli’ President Isaac Herzog officially tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming the country's next government on Sunday, giving him 28 days to secure a governing coalition as political parties remain deadlocked following the recent elections.
Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, received the mandate during a ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, marking the beginning of formal coalition negotiations aimed at replacing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Under ‘Israel's’ Basic Law: The Government, Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government. Herzog may grant him an additional 14 days if necessary.
The Yashar leader received recommendations from 67 members of the incoming Knesset during consultations held by Herzog last week, compared with 46 recommendations for Netanyahu.
Eisenkot secured the backing of both Arab parties, Ra'am and the Joint List, which together won a record 19 seats in the election. However, their recommendations do not necessarily mean they will join his government.
The election results left ‘Israel’ facing a political deadlock, with neither side securing the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats, while the opposition bloc has 48, leaving the Arab parties in a potentially decisive position.
Meanwhile, United Torah Judaism, a longtime Netanyahu coalition partner, declined to recommend either candidate, amid reported tensions with the outgoing prime minister. The party's decision has given the opposition additional room to pursue coalition negotiations with ultra-Orthodox parties.
Other parties that recommended Netanyahu included Likud, Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit, Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party, Moshe Feiglin's Zehut and Arye Deri's Shas.
If Eisenkot fails to form a government within the allotted period, informs Herzog that he cannot secure a coalition, or presents a government that fails to win a confidence vote, the president must decide within three days whether to assign the mandate to another lawmaker or notify the Knesset speaker that no viable government can be formed.
A second candidate would receive 28 days to form a government, without the possibility of an extension. If that attempt also fails, lawmakers would have 21 days to jointly recommend another candidate, who would then receive 14 days to form a coalition.
If all efforts fail, the Knesset would be dissolved and new elections called. Until a new government takes office, the outgoing government would remain in place in a caretaker capacity.
The possible outcomes include a coalition led by Eisenkot, a unity government involving members of both political blocs, or another election.
