Israel’s president taps Eisenkot to form government, in setback for Netanyahu

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has appointed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot as the first candidate to form a government following the recent elections on October 27. Eisenkot, a former military chief, ran against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading a coalition of parties aiming to remove Israel's longest-serving premier.

While neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu secured a clear majority in the vote, representatives from most of Israel's main parties recommended Eisenkot to assemble a new government during marathon discussions with the president this week. Netanyahu, in a video statement, called for a "national unity government" and warned against forming a government with "terrorist supporters," an apparent reference to the Arab-led parties.

Eisenkot's party, Yashar, criticized Netanyahu's video, urging his Likud party members to disavow their alliance with "radical parties," including those with more extreme views. Eisenkot's party has stated that he would only include parties and parliament members who support its principles, such as recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization.