On November 7, the office of the President of Israel announced that President Isaac Herzog will formally appoint Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government of Israel. This announcement comes as Eisenkot stands as the primary rival to current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Eisenkot is set to receive this mandate on Sunday afternoon at 5 PM. If he successfully forms a government and gains the confidence of the Knesset, he will become Israel’s next Prime Minister.
The President’s office indicated that Herzog had communicated his decision to both Eisenkot and Netanyahu. Prior to this announcement, he engaged in consultations with various political factions to gauge their support.
During discussions held on November 4 and 5, Herzog met with delegations representing the 120 members of the Knesset who are about to take office. Eisenkot received endorsements from 67 members, while Netanyahu garnered support from 46 members.
The role of the President of Israel is largely ceremonial, with responsibilities that include designating an individual to form a coalition government following Knesset elections.
However, Eisenkot’s task of government formation will not be without its challenges. He is expected to be formally entrusted with this authority during a ceremony at the President’s residence on Sunday. Following this, he will have 28 days to assemble a government, with a possible extension of up to 14 days upon presidential approval if necessary.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who has served as the longest-tenured leader of Israel, is keen on retaining his position as Prime Minister. Despite his religious-nationalist coalition failing to secure a majority in the October 27 elections, it remains the largest political bloc in the Knesset. The Likud party, led by Netanyahu, won 27 seats in the election, making it the party with the most seats, but it fell short of the 61-seat majority needed for control of the Knesset.
Eisenkot’s party, Yashar, has emerged as the second largest party with 21 seats. Additionally, a coalition comprised of four parties spanning from the center-left to the right, which Eisenkot leads, secured a total of 48 seats. Notably, two parties representing the Arab minority in Israel made history by winning 19 seats. Nevertheless, Eisenkot has previously declined the option of forming a coalition with the Arab parties.
Potential paths for Eisenkot’s coalition-building efforts could include seeking a government supported externally by the Arab parties while keeping them out of the coalition, forming a government with ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties that he and his allies have historically excluded, or partnering with Netanyahu to create a unifying government.
Analysts from Reuters suggest that the chances of these three scenarios occurring are slim. If Eisenkot fails to form a government, other candidates will still have the opportunity to attempt to do so; if successive candidates also fail, the Knesset may nominate others for the role. The entire process is marked with a deadline of approximately 100 days. Should no candidate successfully form a government, Israel would be compelled to hold another round of elections.