Israeli President Isaac Herzog has chosen Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strongest rival, to try to form the country’s next government, in a major setback for the long-serving leader.
Herzog informed Eisenkot of his decision on Saturday, November 7, after consultations with all parties in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. A formal ceremony handing him the mandate was scheduled for Sunday, according to the president’s office.
67 lawmakers back Eisenkot
According to Al Jazeera and other outlets, 67 of the Knesset’s 120 members recommended Eisenkot for the job, compared with 46 who backed Netanyahu. Eisenkot’s support included his own centrist alliance as well as Arab-led parties, while Netanyahu was backed by his right-wing and religious allies.
Israel held a general election on October 27, but no side won an outright majority. Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, Eisenkot’s four-party alliance won 48, and Arab-led parties won a record 19. A government needs the support of at least 61 lawmakers.
As we reported after the vote, Herzog had urged parties to find a way to avoid yet another election.
28 days to build a coalition
Eisenkot now has 28 days to put together a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. Being recommended by 67 lawmakers does not guarantee success. Turning those recommendations into a stable government will mean bringing together parties with very different views, including on the role of Arab-led parties in government.
If he fails, the president can give the mandate to another lawmaker, or the Knesset could move towards a fresh election.
Netanyahu warns of collapse
Netanyahu reacted sharply, warning that a government relying on Arab-led parties would harm Israel from within and could lead to its collapse. His allies are expected to try to persuade some of Eisenkot’s potential partners to change sides during the negotiations.
Netanyahu has dominated Israeli politics for most of the past three decades and is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.
Who is Gadi Eisenkot?
Eisenkot, 66, served as chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 2015 to 2019. After the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, he joined Netanyahu’s emergency government as a minister and observer in the war cabinet, before leaving in June 2024 amid disagreements over the conduct of the war and the failure to set out a plan for after the fighting.
His son, Gal, a soldier, was killed in the Gaza war in December 2023. Eisenkot now leads the Yashar party, which he founded in 2025.
Why it matters
A government led by Eisenkot would mark the biggest shift in Israeli politics in years, with possible consequences for the war’s aftermath, relations with the Palestinians and ties with Arab states and Western allies. It would also give Arab-led parties their biggest role in shaping a government since the Ra’am party joined the short-lived Bennett-Lapid coalition in 2021.
The coming four weeks of talks will decide whether Netanyahu’s era is truly ending, or whether Israel faces yet another round of political deadlock.
Sources: Al Jazeera, The Washington Post, France 24, Fox News.
