Netanyahu retains powers as Eisenkot tasked with forming new Israeli government

Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot has begun the challenging process of assembling a new government, warning that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has plunged the nation into a historic crisis. At 66, Eisenkot is a political newcomer who aims to mend Israel's deep divisions following Netanyahu's leadership. President Isaac Herzog has granted Eisenkot 28 days to form a government, despite his coalition lacking a clear majority.

"We are in a state of emergency, approaching a point of no return for the State of Israel," Eisenkot declared. The veteran leader seeks to form a national emergency government, a task that will require innovative and unconventional political measures. Born to a family of working-class Moroccan immigrants, Eisenkot would be the first Sephardic prime minister in a country historically governed by an Ashkenazi elite.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, has taken the nation in a rightward direction and has led wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. Both Eisenkot and President Herzog have acknowledged Israel's isolation under Netanyahu, who is currently wanted by the International Criminal Court.

The United States, Israel's most vital ally, recently saw Democrats win elections demanding tighter control over Israel following the devastation in Gaza and the unpopular Iran war. Eisenkot has reached out to Netanyahu's Likud Party and the far-right party of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, but only with himself as prime minister.

He has also opened his door to discussions with the far-right politician Avigdor Liberman, who opposes alliances with Arab Israelis. Liberman has suggested a potential alliance with ultra-Orthodox Jews, whose exemption from military service has been a source of resentment among Israelis. Eisenkot has hinted at the possibility of a minority government, relying on outside votes from Arab-Israeli parties before bringing other lawmakers into his coalition.

He has vowed to put an end to violence against Palestinians by extremist West Bank settlers supported by Netanyahu's government and has warned that Netanyahu does not have the mandate for another attack on Iran.