Jerusalem [Israel], November 8 (ANI): In a major political setback for incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog on Saturday formally decided to task Yashar party chairman and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government, after a clear majority of Knesset lawmakers endorsed him over the incumbent PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
Eisenkot, a retired military chief who spearheaded the centrist Yashar bloc during the parliamentary polls, will now have a statutory window of up to six weeks to negotiate with prospective allies and stitch together a viable majority capable of formally replacing Netanyahu in the prime minister's office.
The decision follows extensive consultations between President Herzog and representatives of all political factions in the 120-seat Knesset, as well as direct deliberations with both Netanyahu and Eisenkot.
In an official statement released on social media platform X, the Office of the President of Israel confirmed that Eisenkot had secured overwhelming parliamentary backing.
"President of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog has decided to task the chairman of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, with forming the government. The president’s decision was made at the conclusion of the round of consultations with Knesset factions, and after holding in-depth conversations and further inquiries with various figures in the political system over the past few days. As part of this process, the president met, among others, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with the chairman of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, to whom he conveyed his intention," the statement read.
The consultation tally showed that factions representing 67 Members of the Knesset (MKs) formally recommended Eisenkot to lead the 38th government, surpassing the 61-seat threshold required for a working majority.
“At the conclusion of the round of consultations, factions comprising 67 Knesset members recommended to the president of the State of Israel that the chairman of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, be tasked with forming the government. Factions comprising 46 Knesset members recommended Prime Minister and Likud chairman MK Benjamin Netanyahu, and a faction comprising seven Knesset members chose not to recommend anyone,” the statement continued.
Furthermore, "The president of the State of Israel has invited Gadi Eisenkot to the President’s Residence for the mandate-conferral ceremony, which will take place tomorrow, Sunday, 28 Cheshvan, November 8, at 17:00," the release added.
Israel’s President Herzog has chosen Gadi Eisenkot, rival of current Prime Minister Netanyahu, to form a new government, following last month’s elections, Al Jazeera also reported.
Once formally conferred the mandate, Eisenkot—a former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF)—will have a designated window to finalise coalition agreements and secure parliamentary approval to swear in a new government.
The 67-seat backing for Eisenkot came together after the Arab-led Joint List announced its unanimous decision to recommend him, joining earlier endorsements from the opposition and the Arab Ra'am party.
Gadi Eisenkot’s endorsements (67 seats) comprise of Jewish-led opposition bloc, 48 seats (Yashar, Together, The Democrats, Yisrael Beiteinu); the Ra'am party: 8 seats; and the Joint List: 11 seats.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s endorsements (46 seats), down from his right-wing bloc's total election tally of 53 seats after UTJ withheld its endorsement with abstentions (7 seats).
The decision by the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party to refrain from endorsing any candidate marks a major fracture in its long-standing alliance with Netanyahu.
Rejecting Netanyahu's continued stay as a caretaker leader during wartime, Eisenkot outlined a four-pillar framework for an emergency administration: recognising Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, upholding the Declaration of Independence, mandating universal national and military conscription, and dismantling the military and political wings of Hamas. (ANI)
Israeli President picks Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu rival, to try to form next govt following elections
