Israeli President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to grant former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot the initial opportunity to assemble a governing coalition on Sunday, placing the opposition figure in position to potentially unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Following parliamentary elections last month, Eisenkot secured endorsements from 67 members of the 120-seat Knesset during presidential consultations that ended Thursday, news outlets reported. Netanyahu garnered 46 recommendations, leaving the incumbent well short of the 61-seat threshold required for a governing majority.
Eisenkot’s apparent edge rests on an uneasy alignment. His core Zionist opposition bloc controls 48 seats across four parties, but his endorsement total crossed the threshold only after two Arab-led factions holding a combined 19 seats backed his bid, according to the Los Angeles Times and Al Jazeera English. Herzog acknowledged that although the endorsement count favors Eisenkot, building a functional coalition remains fraught due to deep friction across ideological lines.
Deep rifts over coalition partners
Herzog cautioned that what he termed “mutual vetoes between the blocs and within the blocs themselves” create serious uncertainty about whether any candidate can finalize an administration, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Securing the backing of the Arab-led factions represents a major challenge for Eisenkot’s partners. The Joint List, which holds 11 seats, confirmed it will not join any cabinet, but offered external legislative support to bring down Netanyahu, according to party head Yousef Jabareen. Raam, an Islamist faction with eight seats, expressed a willingness to enter an anti-Netanyahu government, Al Jazeera reported. Both factions have condemned civilian deaths in the region while resisting Eisenkot’s demand that they label Hamas a terrorist organization.
At the same time, right-wing leaders within Eisenkot’s own alliance have pushed back strongly against relying on Arab lawmakers. Avigdor Lieberman, head of the secular right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, declared on social media that he opposes any minority government reliant on Arab parties, The Jerusalem Post reported. Lieberman instead suggested opening talks with ultra-Orthodox parties, indicating an openness to compromise on the contentious issue of drafting religious students into the military.
That proposed compromise has already sparked dissent within Lieberman’s own party ranks, where newly elected lawmaker Dan Illouz publicly insisted that military conscription legislation cannot be abandoned, according to The Jerusalem Post. Meanwhile, United Torah Judaism withheld its seven endorsements from Netanyahu over conscription disputes, while fellow religious party Shas endorsed the incumbent prime minister, Al Jazeera noted.
Tight deadlines and high stakes
Eisenkot has proposed what he calls a “national emergency government” founded on four baseline criteria: recognizing Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, embracing the principles of the nation’s declaration of independence, mandating universal service, and formally dismantling Hamas, according to public statements reported by Ynetnews. He cautioned colleagues on social media that anyone who derails coalition building over personal motives will not be forgiven by history.
The political maneuvering occurs against a backdrop of increasing diplomatic stress. Former President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that he intended to end roughly $4 billion in yearly U.S. aid to Israel ahead of a scheduled 2028 expiration, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Once formally designated by Herzog, Eisenkot will have 28 days to forge an agreement, with the possibility of a two-week extension, Al Jazeera reported. If Eisenkot fails, the mandate can pass to another lawmaker for 28 days, followed by a final 14-day window for any candidate backed by a parliamentary majority. If those avenues collapse, the Knesset will dissolve, forcing a new national ballot within 90 days while Netanyahu remains at the helm of a caretaker government.
