Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a potential political downfall after President Isaac Herzog appointed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to lead efforts to form a new government following last week’s general election.
The move marks a significant step towards ending Netanyahu’s long tenure as prime minister, with his opponents seeking to replace his hard-right administration after years of political division and war fatigue.
Eisenkot, a former military chief who is relatively new to politics, leads an opposition bloc seeking to attract secular and liberal Israeli voters. His camp has also opened the door to a previously unlikely alliance with ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups, potentially securing enough parliamentary seats to form a coalition.
Herzog said he had decided to give Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a government after holding consultations with all political parties throughout the week.
The decision followed the October 27 election, which ended without any party securing a parliamentary majority in a country deeply divided over Netanyahu’s hard-right rule and the exhaustion caused by three years of war.
According to a statement from Herzog’s office, Eisenkot’s formal appointment will take place at a ceremony at the president’s residence in Jerusalem today.
Eisenkot has pledged to “do everything” possible to establish a new government, after receiving recommendations from parties representing 67 members of parliament, compared with 46 backing Netanyahu’s bloc.
However, the support for Eisenkot brings its own political complications.
His backing includes representatives from Israel’s Arab minority, whose parliamentary seats increased in the election amid anger towards Netanyahu. It also includes sections of the right-wing opposition that oppose relying on Arab votes.
The differing positions within the opposition camp could make coalition negotiations challenging, despite Eisenkot having secured the larger bloc of parliamentary recommendations.
