Israel president taps Eisenkot to form new government
In the Oct 27 election, neither side secured a majority in a country deeply polarised by Netanyahu's hard-right rule and worn down by three years of war.
On Nov 7, Israel's president announced that Gadi Eisenkot would be tasked with forming the next government following last week's election. This move comes as opposition parties, led by Eisenkot, see it as a step towards removing Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The opposition bloc, representing 67 lawmakers, has opened the door to a coalition with ultra-Orthodox Jews, which could provide them with the numbers needed to form a coalition government.
President Isaac Herzog granted Eisenkot the first chance to form a government following consultations with all parties during the week of the election. While Eisenkot pledged to do everything to form a new government, he faced opposition from Netanyahu's allies and right-leaning segments of the opposition, who are against relying on Arab votes.
If Eisenkot cannot form a government within 28 days, Herzog can provide a 14-day extension before offering the mandate to someone else.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
