Netanyahu rival Eisenkot to be tasked with forming new government following Israeli elections
Following inconclusive legislative elections last month, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has announced that Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the centrist Yashar party and a former military chief, will be tasked with forming a new government. The decision followed consultations in which factions representing 67 members of the 120-seat Knesset recommended Eisenkot for the premiership, compared to 46 lawmakers who backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Eisenkot is scheduled to formally receive the mandate at the president’s residence on Sunday.
The assignment follows an election in which neither main bloc secured an outright majority. Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party remained the largest faction in parliament with 27 seats, leading an overall bloc of 53 seats. The opposition led by Yashar secured 48 seats, while Arab parties claimed a record 19 seats between them. Amid the political impasse, Netanyahu called on Saturday for the formation of a national unity government, while Eisenkot has vowed to do everything possible to establish a viable administration.
Eisenkot now has 28 days to negotiate a coalition, a deadline the president can extend by up to 14 days. If he fails, the mandate can be passed to a second candidate for 28 days, and subsequently to a third candidate chosen by the Knesset for a final 14-day attempt before new elections are triggered.
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