Israel’s President Isaac Herzog has tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a new coalition government after no party secured a majority in the recent general election.
According to the BBC, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has given former army chief and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a new coalition government following the election.
After days of political negotiations, Herzog chose Eisenkot over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take the first step towards forming a government.
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has 120 seats. A party or coalition needs at least 61 seats to form a government.
In a statement, the President’s Office said that after consulting newly elected Knesset members, 67 recommendations were submitted in favour of Gadi Eisenkot, while 46 supported Benjamin Netanyahu. Based on these recommendations, Herzog decided to give Eisenkot the mandate to form the government.
Under the rules, Eisenkot will initially have 28 days to form a coalition. If necessary, the period can be extended by another 14 days.
In a message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Eisenkot said, “Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do my utmost to honour the trust placed in me by the people.”
However, forming a government will not be easy for him.
The 19 seats held by Arab parties could play a major role in the process. However, most Jewish parties have already announced that they will not join a coalition with Arab parties.
This leaves several possible options for Eisenkot. Will he seek support from Arab parties, bring ultra-Orthodox parties into his coalition, or surprise everyone by forming a national unity government with Netanyahu?
All eyes are now on how Eisenkot will move forward with the coalition negotiations.
