Netanyahu rival Eisenkot tapped to form Israeli government
Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced Saturday that he will task Gadi Eisenkot , leader of the opposition Yashar party, with forming a new government, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . Why it matters: Eisenkot will have 28 days to establish a new government. This is the closest Netanyahu has been to losing power since 2021, but deep divisions could still prevent…
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has appointed Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the opposition Yesh Atid party, to form the next Israeli government, marking a significant challenge to incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The president gave Eisenkot 28 days to establish a government, the closest Netanyahu has been to losing power since 2021.
Netanyahu's Likud party secured the most seats in the October 27 election, but failed to maintain a majority, winning only 53 of the 120 seats. Eisenkot's coalition, however, won 48 seats, bolstered by the support of two Arab parties that together won 19 seats. During consultations with Knesset members earlier this week, 67 lawmakers recommended Eisenkot to form the new government, compared to 46 who backed Netanyahu.
United Torah Judaism, an ultra-Orthodox party allied with Netanyahu, did not endorse him and may join an Eisenkot-led coalition, presenting a further obstacle for Netanyahu. This is a developing story; further updates will follow.
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