After designation, Eisenkot vows to ‘do everything’ to form government

Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief and opposition leader, has pledged to form a national emergency government upon being appointed by President Isaac Herzog. In a statement on social media, Eisenkot vowed to "do everything" to ensure the government meets expectations. Herzog chose Eisenkot over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads the right-wing Likud party.

The president invited Eisenkot to the presidential residence for the formal handover of the mandate on November 8. Eisenkot seeks to include political groups with differing positions and is particularly focused on integrating ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into mandatory military service, a point of contention with Netanyahu's coalition.

To form a majority government, Eisenkot will need to negotiate with lawmakers from various political parties, potentially including Arab-led ones, though some of his potential partners have opposed this. He has 28 days to form the government, with an additional 14 days granted if necessary.