Saurabh Mukherjee
Israel's political landscape has entered a fresh phase of uncertainty after President Isaac Herzog tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with the responsibility of attempting to form the next government, potentially ending Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure as prime minister.
Yashar party leader Eisenkot has called for a broad-based political arrangement, urging rival parties to come together under a “national emergency government”.
“Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything to ensure we are worthy,” Eisenkot wrote in a post on X on Saturday (November 8).
Herzog's decision followed consultations with political parties and meetings with senior political leaders, including Netanyahu and Eisenkot.
According to an announcement on the official account of the President of Israel, political factions representing 67 members of the Knesset recommended Eisenkot for the mandate. Netanyahu received the backing of factions representing 46 lawmakers, while seven members declined to recommend either leader.
Herzog has invited Eisenkot to the President's Residence on Sunday, November 8, for the formal transfer of the mandate.
Eisenkot, who heads the Yashar party, faces the difficult task of assembling a parliamentary majority from political groups with differing ideological positions. His proposed coalition strategy differs considerably from Netanyahu's approach, particularly over the participation of far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties in the government.
In an attempt to broaden his support, Eisenkot has invited lawmakers from Netanyahu's Likud party to join a government under his leadership. However, he has called on them to break away from their far-right allies and accept a set of conditions for participation in the proposed coalition.
These conditions include recognising Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, upholding the principles of its Declaration of Independence, making military or civilian national service compulsory for all citizens, and committing to dismantling Hamas's military and governing power.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, has traditionally relied on far-right and ultra-Orthodox political groups to sustain his governing coalition. Their continued participation remains a major point of disagreement in the negotiations over a possible alternative government.
The question of compulsory military service is another significant divide between the two leaders. Eisenkot wants ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, who have historically enjoyed broad exemptions, to be brought under mandatory military or civilian national service provisions. Netanyahu's political survival, however, has depended heavily on ultra-Orthodox parties opposed to ending these exemptions.
The two leaders also differ over accountability for the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Eisenkot has demanded the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to investigate the security and intelligence failures surrounding the attack. Netanyahu has resisted demands for such an investigation while remaining in office.
Despite these differences, both leaders share certain positions on regional security. They oppose the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and support dismantling Hamas's military capabilities in Gaza. Eisenkot, however, has also called for action against settler violence and opposed the formal annexation of the occupied West Bank.
The composition of the 120-member Knesset makes the coalition-building exercise particularly challenging. Netanyahu's political camp secured 53 seats, while Eisenkot's opposition bloc won 48. Arab-led parties hold another 19 seats and could prove decisive in determining the formation of the next government.
Their support could help Eisenkot cross the threshold of 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. However, opposition to relying on Arab-led parties among some of his potential coalition partners could complicate the negotiations.
The 67 recommendations Eisenkot received during Herzog's consultations do not amount to an assured parliamentary majority, leaving him with the task of securing actual support from lawmakers across political factions.
Eisenkot has 28 days to put together a government after receiving the mandate, with the possibility of a further 14-day extension from Herzog. Whether he can bridge the ideological differences within the opposition and secure the necessary numbers will determine if Netanyahu's long-standing political dominance comes to an end.
Yashar party leader Eisenkot has called for a broad-based political arrangement, urging rival parties to come together under a “national emergency government”.
“Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything to ensure we are worthy,” Eisenkot wrote in a post on X on Saturday (November 8).
זו העת להקמת ממשלת חירום לאומית. אעשה הכל כדי שנהיה ראויים ???????? https://t.co/18Q3eIE6g0
— Gadi Eisenkot - גדי איזנקוט (@gadi_eisenkot) November 7, 2026
Herzog's decision followed consultations with political parties and meetings with senior political leaders, including Netanyahu and Eisenkot.
According to an announcement on the official account of the President of Israel, political factions representing 67 members of the Knesset recommended Eisenkot for the mandate. Netanyahu received the backing of factions representing 46 lawmakers, while seven members declined to recommend either leader.
Herzog has invited Eisenkot to the President's Residence on Sunday, November 8, for the formal transfer of the mandate.
Eisenkot, who heads the Yashar party, faces the difficult task of assembling a parliamentary majority from political groups with differing ideological positions. His proposed coalition strategy differs considerably from Netanyahu's approach, particularly over the participation of far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties in the government.
In an attempt to broaden his support, Eisenkot has invited lawmakers from Netanyahu's Likud party to join a government under his leadership. However, he has called on them to break away from their far-right allies and accept a set of conditions for participation in the proposed coalition.
These conditions include recognising Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, upholding the principles of its Declaration of Independence, making military or civilian national service compulsory for all citizens, and committing to dismantling Hamas's military and governing power.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, has traditionally relied on far-right and ultra-Orthodox political groups to sustain his governing coalition. Their continued participation remains a major point of disagreement in the negotiations over a possible alternative government.
The question of compulsory military service is another significant divide between the two leaders. Eisenkot wants ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, who have historically enjoyed broad exemptions, to be brought under mandatory military or civilian national service provisions. Netanyahu's political survival, however, has depended heavily on ultra-Orthodox parties opposed to ending these exemptions.
The two leaders also differ over accountability for the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Eisenkot has demanded the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to investigate the security and intelligence failures surrounding the attack. Netanyahu has resisted demands for such an investigation while remaining in office.
Despite these differences, both leaders share certain positions on regional security. They oppose the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and support dismantling Hamas's military capabilities in Gaza. Eisenkot, however, has also called for action against settler violence and opposed the formal annexation of the occupied West Bank.
The composition of the 120-member Knesset makes the coalition-building exercise particularly challenging. Netanyahu's political camp secured 53 seats, while Eisenkot's opposition bloc won 48. Arab-led parties hold another 19 seats and could prove decisive in determining the formation of the next government.
Their support could help Eisenkot cross the threshold of 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. However, opposition to relying on Arab-led parties among some of his potential coalition partners could complicate the negotiations.
The 67 recommendations Eisenkot received during Herzog's consultations do not amount to an assured parliamentary majority, leaving him with the task of securing actual support from lawmakers across political factions.
Eisenkot has 28 days to put together a government after receiving the mandate, with the possibility of a further 14-day extension from Herzog. Whether he can bridge the ideological differences within the opposition and secure the necessary numbers will determine if Netanyahu's long-standing political dominance comes to an end.
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