Israel's President Tasks Gadi Eisenkot With Forming Government Over Netanyahu

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has officially tasked Gadi Eisenkot with the mandate to assemble a new government, according to reports from Business Insider Africa and Al Jazeera.

The decision follows the October 27 general election, which resulted in a parliamentary deadlock where neither Eisenkot nor incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured the majority needed to govern.

Eisenkot, the 66-year-old leader of the Yashar party and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, now faces a high-stakes period of political negotiation to bridge a deeply polarized nation.

The arithmetic of a coalition

The path to power remains narrow for the former military chief. While Netanyahu’s Likud remains the largest single party in the 120-member Knesset, President Herzog noted that Eisenkot received broader support regarding who is best positioned to form a stable government.

Netanyahu rival Gadi Eisenkot to be tasked with forming next Israeli government

Al Jazeera reported that 67 lawmakers endorsed Eisenkot for the mandate, whereas only 46 backed Netanyahu. A seven-member faction abstained from the recommendation process.

Eisenkot’s immediate challenge is to secure at least 61 seats. His current four-party bloc holds 48 seats, leaving a gap that requires strategic alliances.

Israel’s president picks Eisenkot over Netanyahu to form next government — Photo: Al Jazeera

Political Group/Entity	Seat Count
Eisenkot’s Four-Party Bloc	48
Netanyahu’s Wider Coalition	53
Arab-led Parties	19
Total Knesset Seats	120

To reach the threshold, Eisenkot may need to court ultra-Orthodox parties, such as United Torah Judaism and Shas, or seek a unity arrangement with Likud. Although Arab-led parties endorsed him, Eisenkot has ruled out formally joining forces with them, a move Netanyahu is expected to criticize as an act of betrayal, per The Guardian.

Eisenkot has expressed an openness to negotiation, stating: “My door is open and my hand is extended, wholeheartedly and willingly, to anyone who understands the gravity of this moment,” according to The Guardian.

Netanyahu rival Eisenkot to be tasked with forming new government following Israeli elections

A historic shift in demographics

Eisenkot’s potential ascent to the premiership would be a landmark event in Israeli history, as the country has never had a prime minister from a Mizrahi background. Born in 1960 in Tiberias to parents from Marrakesh and Casablanca, his North African heritage has become a central theme of the political discourse.

During the campaign, his ethnicity was targeted by television host Yinon Magal, who used derogatory language to suggest Eisenkot was a “puppet” controlled by Ashkenazi elites, as reported by CNN. While Magal later clarified he was using an underworld expression for a frontman rather than attacking ethnicity, and Netanyahu condemned the remarks, the incident highlighted deep-seated ethnic divisions between Mizrahi Jews and those of European origin.

Israel Election: President Isaac Herzog Mandates Gadi Eisenkot To Form Next Israeli Government

This demographic shift carries strategic implications. Eisenkot’s background may influence Israel’s diplomatic engagement with North African nations, including Morocco, though the extent of that influence remains unproven.

Security and regional stability

The political transition occurs against a backdrop of intense regional volatility. Eisenkot, who served as IDF Chief of Staff from 2015 to 2019, has emerged as a vocal critic of Netanyahu’s management of recent conflicts. He has specifically pointed to the “devastating diplomatic crisis” and the impact of the war in Gaza, according to The Guardian.

Israel's president chooses Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's rival, to form new government

His military record includes the implementation of the “Dahiya doctrine” during the 2006 war with Hezbollah, a strategy involving the use of massive force against civilian infrastructure in areas controlled by militant groups. In his political life, he has pledged to end Hamas’s rule in Gaza and crack down on extremist West Bank settlers, whom he has labeled as perpetrators of “Jewish terror.”

The security situation is further complicated by investigations into the election itself. The Guardian reported that Israel’s Shin Bet security agency has launched an investigation into possible foreign interference in the vote, though the Central Elections Committee and President Herzog have maintained the results are valid.

The timeline for government formation

The clock is now running for the Yashar leader. Per Reuters, Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, with the possibility of a 14-day extension. If he fails to assemble a coalition, the mandate may return to Netanyahu.

If a deadlock persists through both windows, Israel could face fresh elections. The nation has a recent history of such instability, having held five elections between 2019 and 2022 due to repeated failure to form a government.

Should the process fail entirely, Netanyahu would remain in place as a caretaker prime minister for up to 90 days before a new election is called, according to Al Jazeera.

The success of Eisenkot’s mandate depends on whether he can transform a mathematical deficit into a functional majority before the 28-day window expires.

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