Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with forming a government after last month’s inconclusive election. According to a statement from the president’s office on Saturday evening, as reported by Euronews, Herzog made the decision after consultations with party factions.
The statement said factions totalling 67 Knesset members backed Eisenkot, while 46 supported Netanyahu. These figures come only from the president’s statement as relayed by Euronews, and no second source has confirmed them.
In the recent election, neither bloc reached a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Netanyahu’s camp won 53 seats and the opposition led by Yashar won 48, according to Euronews.
Herzog has invited Eisenkot to his residence for a ceremony to confer the mandate, which is scheduled for tomorrow, Euronews reports.
A candidate tasked with forming a government has 28 days to do so. That period can be extended by a maximum of 14 days if necessary, according to Euronews.
If Eisenkot succeeds, he would take over as prime minister from Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, according to the South China Morning Post. The SCMP reports that Eisenkot is a former army chief of staff and a reserved figure. It says some voters tired of Netanyahu see his lack of charisma as an asset.
The SCMP also reports that Eisenkot aims to unite a divided nation and curb settler violence in the West Bank. Euronews reports that Netanyahu called on Saturday for the formation of a national unity government.
If Eisenkot fails, Herzog can offer the mandate to a second candidate, and then the Knesset can nominate a third. If all attempts fail, another election is called.
The sources do not say which parties might join a coalition or what policies Eisenkot would pursue. Neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu has commented on the talks beyond the reported call for a unity government. Al Jazeera’s coverage was available only as a headline and short excerpt, so its account could not be checked in detail.
The key facts in this report rely mainly on Euronews, with the succession detail coming from the SCMP. Further statements from the parties or the president’s office are needed to confirm the coalition picture.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.