'Long road ahead': Eisenkot beats Netanyahu 67-46 in backing but govt test looms

Israel's Yashar party leader, Gadi Eisenkot, has garnered the support of 67 Knesset members to form Israel's next government, surpassing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 46 backers. Despite this significant endorsement, Eisenkot faces an uphill task in assembling a coalition, as several parties backing him are hesitant to join his administration.

During consultations with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday, Eisenkot secured the support of the Arab-led Joint List, which unanimously recommended him for the prime ministerial role. He emphasized his aim to establish a national emergency government to restore political stability to Israel. In his post on X, Eisenkot acknowledged that building a government would be a long process, expressing determination to succeed.

However, forming an actual coalition remains a challenge, as only 48 out of the 67 recommending lawmakers are willing to work together without conditions. The Joint List, while supporting Eisenkot, has policy disagreements with some opposition parties and has ruled out formally joining his government. Netanyahu's reduced support from 53 to 46 lawmakers, compounded by the refusal of United Torah Judaism to recommend either candidate, further complicates the coalition-building process.