{
  "id": 18860225,
  "title": "Israeli president picks Eisenkot to form government in setback for Netanyahu",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/israeli-president-picks-eisenkot-to-form-government-in-setback-for",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-08T04:43:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/11/08/israeli-president-picks-eisenkot-to-form-government-in-setback-for-netanyahu/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Israeli President Isaac Herzog has selected former military chief Gadi Eisenkot to attempt forming a government, presenting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main political rival with the first chance to establish a coalition. The presidency revealed this decision on Saturday following consultations with political leaders. Eisenkot was informed of the decision and extended an invitation to formally accept the mandate at 5pm on Sunday. Netanyahu is aiming to retain power, as his far-right coalition lost its parliamentary majority in the October 27 election; however, Likud remains the largest party in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament. The decision followed Herzog's consultations with all elected parliamentary factions. Recommendations from groups holding 67 seats pointed to Eisenkot, while factions representing 46 lawmakers supported Netanyahu. The seven-member United Torah Judaism faction remained undecided. In response to the news, Eisenkot stated on social media, \"Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything I can to ensure we are worthy.\" According to the official Knesset results, Likud secured 27 seats, while Eisenkot's Yashar party won 21. Netanyahu's broader political coalition comprises 53 seats, in contrast to Eisenkot's allied parties' 48. The Joint List and Raam, the two principal Arab-majority political entities, together hold 19 seats, providing them substantial influence over the coalition negotiations. While their backing of Eisenkot's nomination facilitated his gaining majority support from parliamentary factions during presidential consultations, they are not guaranteed to become partners in his government. Eisenkot and some of his political allies have been hesitant to rely on Arab-majority parties, due to concerns about backlash from their own voters. Although Arab-majority parties have helped open the door to an Eisenkot-led government, securing their support in parliamentary votes may be more challenging. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a part of Eisenkot's political alliance, previously led a government supported by Raam, indicating that such cooperation is not unheard of. Potential options include a minority government relying on Arab lawmakers for support in crucial parliamentary votes, without officially joining the coalition; an agreement with ultra-orthodox parties, who have historically backed Netanyahu; or a national unity government involving Likud, though Eisenkot has consistently criticized Netanyahu's leadership and ruled out serving under him. Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government after receiving the mandate, with Herzog authorized to grant an extension of up to 14 days. If Eisenkot fails, Herzog can offer another lawmaker the opportunity to form a government, potentially giving Netanyahu another chance to secure a parliamentary majority.",
  "summary": "Israeli President Isaac Herzog has chosen former military chief Gadi Eisenkot to try to form a government, giving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main political rival the first opportunity to build a governing coalition. The presidency announced the decision in a statement issued late Saturday after consultations with political leaders. It said Mr Eisenkot had been informed of the decision…",
  "key_points": [
    "Israeli President Isaac Herzog selects Gadi Eisenkot to form government.",
    "Netanyahu's coalition loses majority in Oct 27 election.",
    "Eisenkot given 28 days to form government or another lawmaker may try."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The president's choice shifts the path toward power from the largest party to a rival, forcing Eisenkot to navigate delicate alliances with Arab-majority parties to secure a majority.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "Eisenkot Gets Mandate To Form Israel Government, Netanyahu Fights For Survival",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/eisenkot-gets-mandate-to-form-israel-government-netanyahu-fights-for",
        "published": "2026-11-08T01:48:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}