Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that the leader of the Yashar Party and head of the opposition bloc, Gadi Eisenkot, was assigned to form a new government after the legislative elections held on October 27, as Eisenkot pledged to "do whatever it takes" to form a new government in Israel.
A statement from Herzog's office today, Saturday (November 7, 2026), said that he informed Eisenkot of his intention to assign him, noting that an official ceremony would be held to this end at the president's residence in Jerusalem.
Herzog, who began his career in the Labor Party, which was almost absent from the political arena, indicated that he wanted to push towards the formation of a national unity government that brings together Jewish Israelis from various parties.
Eisenkot, the former Israeli army chief of staff, ran in the elections as the main competitor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the head of a coalition seeking to oust him, in light of the inability of either of them to achieve a clear majority directly at the ballot boxes.
During lengthy consultations with the Israeli president, Eisenkot received the recommendation of parties representing 67 deputies in the 120-member Knesset, compared to only 46 deputies whose parties recommended appointing Netanyahu.
The opposition bloc led by Eisenkot had won 48 seats compared to 53 for the Netanyahu camp, but the two Arab lists, the unified and the joint, won 19 seats in an unprecedented result, and they both recommended appointing Eisenkot, which raised the number of representatives supporting his appointment to 67.
Eisenkot has a deadline of 28 days to form the government, with the possibility of extending it for an additional 14 days. If he does not succeed in forming it, the president has the right to assign another person to the task, while it remains to be decided whether his bloc will accept to rely on the votes of the two lists to gain confidence.
Subsequently, Netanyahu called in a video statement for the formation of a “national unity government,” warning against “rushing in taking the constitutional oath for a government that includes supporters of terrorism,” in reference to the Arab parties that he and his allies portray as a threat to national security.
On the other hand, the Yashar Party, led by Eisenkot, criticized the video clip on the “X” platform, calling on members of the Likud Party to disavow their alliance with extremist parties, and affirming its readiness to ally with parties that support its principles only, including considering the Hamas movement a terrorist organization that must be eliminated.
He came from the General Staff and is the owner of the “Dahiya Doctrine.”
Eisenkot (66 years old) served as chief of staff of the Israeli army between 2015 and 2019, and his image derives some appeal from his labor roots as the son of immigrants from Morocco. He was born in Tiberias and grew up in Eilat, far from the elite from which Netanyahu, the son of a prominent university professor in the United States, hails. If he assumes the position, he will be the first Mizrahi Jewish prime minister.
Voters who are tired of Netanyahu’s statements see Eisenkot’s lack of charisma as one of his most prominent strengths. He speaks English with difficulty and is keen to appear serious and humble, unlike Netanyahu, who speaks English fluently with an American accent and is good at making phrases that make the headlines on television and social media. Eisenkot also enjoyed widespread sympathy among Israelis after his son Gal and two of his relatives were killed in the Gaza war.
Eisenkot was head of the Operations Division during the 2006 war with Hezbollah, and in 2008, when he was commander of the northern region, he explained what was known as the “Dahiya Doctrine” in reference to the southern suburb of Beirut, the party’s stronghold. It calls for the use of disproportionate force against areas from which fire is fired into Israel, including targeting civilian infrastructure.
Party balances and the political road map
Eisenkot presents himself as a center-right candidate, pledging to unite Israelis after years of Netanyahu’s rule during which divisions deepened and the far-right base expanded, promising to protect judicial independence, the rule of law, minority rights, and a free press, in addition to improving Israel’s image abroad, affected by the Gaza Strip war, settler violence in the West Bank, the southern Lebanon war, and incursions into southern Syria.
He described the recent settler attacks as "Jewish terrorism," accusing Netanyahu's government of complicity with their perpetrators, and declared his rejection of the annexation of Palestinian lands and the establishment of settlement outposts without a license.
But he competed with Netanyahu for right-wing votes by pledging to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, showing an old video recording in which Netanyahu, under American pressure, expressed openness to the idea, and defended in front of a religious audience the continued Israeli control over the West Bank.
While in a café he promised voters greater protection for LGBT people. In Gaza, he pledged to end Hamas’ rule within 18 months, either by implementing the ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to gradually disarm the movement and transfer power, or through innovative military operations to destroy its military wing.
He also pledged to limit the exemption of religious institute students from service and to approve a “law for comprehensive national service” that obligates Haredim and Arab citizens to serve in military or civilian service.
Throughout his election campaign, Eisenkot, the former military leader and newcomer to the world of politics, sought to win over centrist and liberal voters.
