Jerusalem. Israeli President Izchak Herzog has officially given the opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot the order to form a new government. Eisenkot's centrist Jashar party was behind the right-wing conservative Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (77) in the most recent parliamentary election, but the 66-year-old former military chief received the most recommendations in consultations with all parties to form a government. Herzog gave the order at a meeting at his residence in Jerusalem.
During consultations, parties with a total of 67 of the 120 MPs recommended Eisenkot to form a government. However, these recommendations do not guarantee successful coalition formation. There are conflicts and numerous red lines between and within the political camps that make compromise difficult.
Eisenkot initially has 28 days to form a coalition. The President can extend this period by a maximum of 14 days. If Eisenkot fails, Herzog can appoint another candidate. He then has another 28 days available.
Netanyahu is considered a possible candidate in this case. In the parliamentary elections on October 27, his right-wing conservative Likud party became the strongest force with 27 seats. The Jashar party, newly founded by Eisenkot, came in second with 21 MPs.
Netanyahu called on the opposition parties to form a government of national unity, almost at the last minute. In addition to his Likud and the two ultra-Orthodox parties, this should also include the right-wing extremist parties Religious Zionism led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Ozma Yehudit led by Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
At the same time, Israel's longest-serving prime minister warned against a government that would be dependent on the support of Arab parties. Such a government would destroy Israel from within, Netanyahu claimed.
Eisenkot described Netanyahu’s call as a “cheap PR ploy.” The very man who divided Israeli society and sowed discord is now talking about unity - but only because he has recognized that his days in office are numbered. Netanyahu never honored an agreement he signed with political partners.
“Now it is time to form a national emergency government,” wrote Eisenkot on Platform X. He will do everything to do justice to this task. The aim is to form a stable government, prevent another round of elections and force Netanyahu from office.
Eisenkot has formulated four basic principles for this: Israel must be a Jewish and democratic state, respect the values of the Declaration of Independence and introduce a general duty of service for all citizens - including the Arab minority. This should be fulfilled through military service or alternatively through civilian service. Eisenkot cites the fourth principle as the classification of Hamas as a terrorist organization and the obligation to destroy its military and political power structures in the Gaza Strip. Anyone who accepts these principles can join his government.
The four-party opposition camp has 48 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. So he is 13 votes short of a majority. These could come from the Arab parties United List and Raam, which together won 19 seats. Both have recommended Eisenkot for the task of forming a government.
The problem: Within the opposition camp there are considerable reservations about cooperation with Arab parties. Both their participation in a coalition and the possibility of allowing them to tolerate a minority government are controversial.
In purely mathematical terms, the decisive votes could also come from the ultra-Orthodox parties United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and Shas. Together they have 13 seats. A government coalition would therefore have a narrow majority of 61 of the 120 votes.
However, Shas recommended Netanyahu to form a government, while UTJ refrained from making a recommendation. Schas also firmly rejected reports of possible involvement in a government led by Eisenkot.
According to media reports, the opposition politician and former Foreign and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, previously a strong opponent of cooperation with the ultra-Orthodox, is now ready to form an alliance with them.
The dispute over compulsory military service remains a major obstacle. Shas and UTJ demand far-reaching exceptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews. Eisenkot, on the other hand, calls for compulsory service for all citizens. This means that a central demand of his government plans is in direct conflict with the interests of the ultra-Orthodox parties.
A grand coalition between the opposition camp and the Likud would also be mathematically possible. However, only cooperation without Netanyahu at the top would be an option. However, it is completely unclear whether there could be a change in leadership and whether the parties would agree on a common government program.
