Israel’s political deadlock has opened the door to a possible end to Benjamin Netanyahu’s long tenure as prime minister, after President Isaac Herzog formally tasked opposition leader and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot with trying to form the country’s next government on Sunday, November 8.
Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. However, replacing Netanyahu will require difficult negotiations among parties with sharply differing positions on security, military service and cooperation with Arab-led political groups.
Herzog’s decision follows the October 27 parliamentary elections, which produced no clear majority in Israel’s 120-member Knesset. Netanyahu’s Likud Party secured 27 seats, while Eisenkot’s Yashar Party won 21.
Netanyahu’s wider political bloc secured 53 seats, compared with 48 for the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot. Arab-led parties captured the remaining 19 seats, placing them in a potentially decisive position in the coalition negotiations. A government requires the support of at least 61 lawmakers.
During consultations with political parties, 67 lawmakers recommended that Eisenkot receive the mandate to form a government, while 46 backed Netanyahu. Another seven declined to recommend either candidate.
The outcome represents a significant setback for Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, whose governing coalition failed to retain a parliamentary majority.
Eisenkot, a former chief of the Israel Defense Forces who entered politics in 2022, has pledged to pursue a broad-based national emergency government, arguing that Israel faces urgent security and political challenges.
“We are in a state of emergency, approaching a point of no return for the State of Israel. We must form a national emergency government,” Eisenkot said.
His proposed government would have to address the continuing security challenges involving Iran, the situation in Gaza and negotiations over regional security, alongside deep domestic divisions over the direction of the country.
Coalition negotiations pose major challenge
Despite receiving the mandate, Eisenkot faces considerable obstacles in securing the parliamentary majority needed to govern.
One possibility is to obtain support from Arab-led parties, which together hold 19 seats and have indicated a willingness to support efforts to replace Netanyahu. However, some of Eisenkot’s potential coalition partners oppose relying on Arab parties to form a government.
Another obstacle involves the ultra-Orthodox parties and the longstanding dispute over exemptions from compulsory military service. Eisenkot has pledged to end those exemptions, a position that could complicate negotiations with religious parties.
A national unity arrangement involving Netanyahu’s Likud Party has also been discussed. Netanyahu has called for a unity government involving Zionist parties, but differences between the two political camps make such an agreement uncertain.
The election campaign was dominated by national security concerns, the wars and military confrontations that have engulfed the region, and criticism of Netanyahu’s handling of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s opponents have also pledged to pursue an inquiry into the security failures surrounding the Hamas assault, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in the abduction of approximately 250 others.
Netanyahu remains prime minister while the negotiations proceed and could receive another opportunity to form a government if Eisenkot fails. If neither succeeds, Israel could face another election.
For now, Eisenkot’s appointment marks a major shift in the political contest, but it does not mean Netanyahu has been removed from office. The coming weeks will determine whether the opposition can overcome its internal differences, secure a parliamentary majority and bring an end to Netanyahu’s government.
