Jerusalem. The leader of the centrist Jashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, has promised a new leadership that should lead Israel out of its deep crisis. He wanted to represent all parts of society and work to ensure that the country “regains safe shores and finds its way back to mental health,” said Eisenkot after President Izchak Herzog commissioned him to form a new government.
Jashar was behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing conservative Likud party in the most recent parliamentary election. However, the 66-year-old former chief of general staff received the most recommendations during the president's consultations with the parties to form a government.
“We are in a state of emergency and approaching a point of no return for the state of Israel,” Eisenkot said. He called for the formation of an emergency government. This will require “creative and unconventional political steps”. He extends his hand to all parties and their representatives: “My door is open.”
Three years after the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023 and the subsequent Gaza war, Israel is increasingly isolated internationally and deeply divided domestically.
“The challenges facing the State of Israel are immense,” said President Herzog at the ceremony in his official residence in Jerusalem. He particularly referred to the threat from Iran. It is now necessary to “develop a diplomatic perspective for the region and for the period after the war”.
“Your face bears the scars of gunshot wounds from decades of deployment and combat,” Herzog told Eisenkot. "But your soul bears the worst scar of all: the greatest loss you and your family have suffered - the deaths of your beloved son Gal and your two nephews in the war."
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 election, 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.
Eisenkot has formulated four basic principles for his government: Israel must be a Jewish and democratic state, respect the values of the Declaration of Independence and introduce a general service obligation 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 dismantle its ruling structures in the Gaza Strip. Anyone who accepts these principles can join his government.
The opposition camp, which consists of four parties, currently 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, which together won 19 seats. The problem: Within the opposition camp there are considerable reservations about cooperation with Arab parties.
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.
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.
