Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced on Saturday that he will appoint Gadi Eisenkot, former Chief of Staff of the Army, as the first choice to form a new government following the October 27 elections. This selection is viewed as the first step towards sidelining Benjamin Netanyahu, the current and longest-serving Prime Minister in Israel's history.
Formation of a New Coalition
The opposition coalition led by Eisenkot, who is recognized as an emerging political figure, seeks to garner support from secular and liberal Israelis and has opened the doors for cooperation with ultra-Orthodox Jews. This coalition may achieve enough seats to form a government coalition. Herzog stated that after consulting with all parties throughout the week, he will give Eisenkot the opportunity to make the first attempt to form a government.
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Challenges and Pressures
Eisenkot has been introduced on behalf of parties that include 67 representatives, while Netanyahu's coalition has only 46 representatives. However, some Arab parties are also part of this coalition, whose number of seats increased in the recent elections due to dissatisfaction with Netanyahu. Herzog, who was previously from the leftist Labor Party, is seeking to form a national unity government that brings together Israeli Jews from across the political spectrum.
Pressure to form a unity government may increase if Netanyahu acts on his threats to resume war with Iran. However, U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet given the green light and has faced serious challenges in the recent midterm elections himself.
Netanyahu, who has led Israel for nearly two decades and has shifted towards hard-right politics in recent years, faces corruption charges and the possibility of prison if he leaves office. He is also facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court related to the Gaza war.
After his appointment, Eisenkot has 28 days to secure the 61 votes needed to form a government, and if unsuccessful, Herzog can offer a 14-day extension. If neither party succeeds in forming a government, Israel will go to new elections.
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