Can Eisenkot unseat Netanyahu: Path ahead, and one major roadblock

Gadi Eisenkot, Israel's former military chief, is recommended to form a new government after securing the support of 67 out of 120-seat parliament. However, replacing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be the most challenging task of Eisenkot's career. The coalition includes parties with diverse ideologies and ethnic backgrounds, including left-wing, right-wing, centrist, and predominantly Arab parties.

Most factions would have to break their campaign promises to unite behind Eisenkot. Failure to form a government could lead to another round of elections, allowing Netanyahu to retain power and potentially leave opposition parties weakened. Eisenkot starts with 48 members of parliament, while Netanyahu's coalition has 46 seats. To form a larger coalition, Eisenkot might need to partner with ultra-Orthodox parties or Arab parties, both of which present significant challenges.

The ultra-Orthodox parties could provide support, but they are concerned about conscription, while Arab parties have ruled out joining a government due to ideological concerns.