Gadi Eisenkot reaches out to Netanyahu allies to form Israel government
Former military chief of staff and Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot has been granted a 28-day mandate by President Isaac Herzog to form Israel's next government. Warning that the country faces a historic crisis and severe international isolation under Benjamin Netanyahu, the 66-year-old leader called for a national emergency coalition. In the October elections, Eisenkot's opposition bloc secured 48 of the 120 parliamentary seats, while Netanyahu's camp took 53, leaving neither side with a governing majority amid rising US diplomatic pressure following midterm elections.
Eisenkot faces three complicated routes to power: a power-sharing arrangement with Netanyahu, backing from Arab-led parties, or an alliance with ultra-Orthodox factions that demand military draft exemptions. Each option presents deep divisions. Partner Yisrael Beiteinu refuses to join any coalition with Arab-majority lists, even though those lists endorsed Eisenkot after historic gains. Eisenkot himself has demanded that Arab parties recognize Israel as a Jewish state and declare Hamas a terrorist organization. While Netanyahu proposed a unity government, he has condemned potential Arab cooperation as betrayal and claimed election fraud, which election authorities rejected. Eisenkot has extended talks to Likud and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, but maintains that he must lead as prime minister.
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