The president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, tasked Gadi Eisenkot with forming a new government on Saturday, after elections that have left the country in a political deadlock without a clear exit for either of the two candidates. The former chief of the General Staff and leader of Yashar has 28 days, extendable for another fourteen, to present a coalition to the knesset.
The decision comes after a marathon round of consultations in which 67 deputies recommended Eisenkot, compared to 46 who supported Beniamin Netanyahu. The key has been the decision of United Torah Judaism, the ultra-Orthodox alliance that has supported the prime minister for years, not to recommend him for the position. The longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history lost his majority on October 27, although the Likud remains the leading force.
The two main Arab parties, the Joint List and Ra'am, also supported Eisenkot, after a week in which the Shin Bet has spoken of alleged foreign financing of the Arab vote and the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, has called for the arrest of its leaders. However, the Central Electoral Committee ruled out a large-scale irregularity and certified the election result.
After a record participation of Arab citizens, close to 80%, its 19 seats are the only apparent way for the anti-Netanyahu bloc, with 53 deputies, to reach the majority of 61. Even so, the opposition bloc refuses to add them to a formal alliance.
The alternative that Eisenkot defends from the campaign is a minority government formed by the four Jewish opposition forces, Yashar, Beyajad, the Democrats and Yisrael Beitenu, which add up to 48 seats. To overcome the confidence vote, it would be enough for him to obtain more votes in favor than against, which requires him to rely on external support. But their partners do not agree on where they should get from.
Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beitenu, rules out a government that depends on Arab parties. Instead, he has shown himself willing to compromise on military recruitment of the ultra-Orthodox to attract haredi parties. It is a weighty concession for those who have made the recruitment of Haredis one of their great flags.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, has changed his speech. In his second recorded message since the elections, he demanded a unity government with all the parties of the so-called “national camp”, in an attempt to maintain his bloc and attract deputies from Eisenkot.
He warned that his rivals are preparing a government with “supporters of terror” who “seek to destroy the State of Israel and build the Palestinian State on its ruins.” “A government that depends on Hamas supporters will not fight Hamas,” he said, before assuring that a third of its members would be people who “praise the murderers of the Nujba,” the Hamas unit that led the October 7 attack.
“The man who divided, tore and sowed discord in Israeli society only speaks of unity now that he realizes that his days are numbered,” replied Yashar, calling the message a “hysterical speech.”
The party invited Likud and “its friends” to join a government chaired by Eisenkot if they break their alliance with “the extremists.” Until then, he added, Netanyahu's words are nothing more than a "pathetic propaganda exercise." The invitation excludes the prime minister, whom Eisenkot demands to leave public life due to his responsibility for October 7.
Whoever wants to enter his national emergency government must accept four principles. They are the recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization and the commitment to destroy its military and government power, the definition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic State, the values of the Declaration of Independence and mandatory service for all.
On the street, pressure comes from both sides, although in a minority. A few hundred Israelis demonstrated on Saturday in several cities under the slogan "the people voted for change" to call on the Eisenkot bloc to cooperate with Arab parties. The main rally, in Habima Square in Tel Aviv, brought together a thousand people, while the right called a protest in the same place to demand that the elections be repeated.
If Eisenkot fails, Herzog will be able to hand over the mandate to a second candidate. And if this one does not succeed either, any deputy with the support of 61 parliamentarians will be able to try. Otherwise, Israel will return to the polls.
