Israel’s Eisenkot gets first mandate to form government, aiming to oust Netanyahu

Centrist challenger and former military leader Gadi Eisenkot has been granted the first mandate to form a new Israeli government by President Isaac Herzog's office, reports Investing.com. This development could potentially lead to the removal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the election held on October 27 yielding no clear majority for either candidate.

Of the 120-seat parliament, Eisenkot's bloc secured 48 seats, while Netanyahu's party claimed 53. However, Eisenkot has officially received the support of 67 lawmakers. He is granted up to six weeks to assemble a ruling coalition, but his path to the premiership heavily relies on two parties representing Israel's Arab minority. Securing these seats would require Eisenkot to navigate significant political challenges, as these parties are historically excluded from national governance and would refuse to acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state or label Hamas as a terrorist organization.

If Eisenkot manages to overcome these hurdles, his government would place Netanyahu and his hard-right allies in the opposition. Netanyahu, serving as caretaker prime minister, continues to face international censure and push Israel towards global isolation due to his policies during conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah. Eisenkot, echoing Netanyahu's stance, rejects the idea of a Palestinian state and maintains a hawkish attitude towards a nuclear-armed Iran.