{
  "id": 18865281,
  "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-18865281",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-08T04:43:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "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 to form a government after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition lost its majority in the October 27 election. This development marks the first opportunity for Netanyahu's main political rival to build a governing coalition. The decision was announced by the presidency on Saturday, following consultations with political leaders. Eisenkot was informed of the decision and invited to formally receive the mandate at 5pm on Sunday. Netanyahu, seeking to retain power, had emerged as the largest single party in the 120-seat Knesset after the election. However, his Likud party did not secure a parliamentary majority. The decision followed consultations with all elected parliamentary factions, with representatives of groups holding 67 seats recommending Eisenkot and factions representing 46 lawmakers backing Netanyahu. The United Torah Judaism faction declined to endorse either candidate. Eisenkot responded to the news on X, stating: \"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 results, Likud won 27 seats, while Eisenkot's Yashar party secured 21. Netanyahu's broader political bloc has 53 seats, compared to Eisenkot's allied parties with 48. The Joint List and Raam, the two main Arab-majority political entities, secured a combined 19 seats, which could influence coalition negotiations. Despite the Arab parties' support for Eisenkot, they may not necessarily become partners in his government, due to concerns over backlash from their own voters. A minority government relying on Arab lawmakers or an agreement with ultra-orthodox parties are potential options, but Eisenkot has previously ruled out serving under Netanyahu. Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government after receiving the mandate, with the president authorized to grant an extension of up to 14 days. If Eisenkot fails to form a government, Herzog can hand the opportunity to another lawmaker, 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": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "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"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "3News",
        "title": "Gadi Eisenkot to receive mandate to form Israel's next government",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/gadi-eisenkot-to-receive-mandate-to-form-israels-next-government",
        "published": "2026-11-08T06:41:47.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}