Israel President Gives Opposition Leader Gadi Eisenkot First Chance To Form Coalition Government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has handed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a coalition government following the latest election results, after votes were counted. The announcement, made on Saturday, brings former military chief Eisenkot a step closer to potentially unseating Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. In a post on X shortly after the decision, Eisenkot said he would do everything possible to establish a national emergency government.

He has six weeks to secure support to form an administration in a deeply divided country.

A Difficult Coalition

The task will be difficult. Israel remains sharply divided after the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 and more than three years of conflict in Gaza and the surrounding region. During consultations with Herzog this week, representatives of most major political parties backed giving Eisenkot the mandate to try to form the next government.

However, parliamentary arithmetic remains a significant obstacle. Netanyahu and his allies lost their majority in last month’s election, but the bloc led by Eisenkot also fell short of enough seats to govern alone. Any coalition is therefore likely to depend on negotiations and compromises between parties with different positions. Those concessions could anger supporters and weaken the parties involved.

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Arab Parties Hold the Key

Arab parties, which made historic gains in the election, could emerge as kingmakers. Their support may prove crucial if Eisenkot is to assemble a majority, although any agreement would carry political sensitivity.

An Arab party has joined an Israeli governing coalition only once before, making the prospect of such an arrangement contentious. The fallout could be acute after the prolonged war in Gaza, which has intensified divisions within Israeli society and made cross-party cooperation more difficult.

Eisenkot’s six-week window will test whether parties that agree on removing Netanyahu can also find common ground on policy and the shape of a new administration. Even with the president’s mandate, forming a stable coalition is uncertain. The coming negotiations will determine whether the opposition can turn its electoral gains into a governing majority, or whether Israel faces another period of political uncertainty.

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