This Saturday, November 7, the president of Israel chose Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest rival, to try to form a new government. The decision comes after a deadlocked election that left neither leader with a clear path to power.

First modification: 11/07/2026 - 20:44 Last modification: 11/07/2026 - 21:50

The president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, announced this Saturday, November 7, his decision to entrust the opposition Gadi Eisenkot with the mandate to form a new government after the elections of October 27.

"President Herzog has invited Gadi Eisenkot to the presidential residence, where tomorrow he will be tasked with forming a government," said the president's spokesman Isaac Herzog, whose largely ceremonial role is to name a candidate to form a coalition after the election.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, is fighting to stay in power after his religious nationalist coalition lost its majority in the Oct. 27 election but still remained the largest bloc in parliament.

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Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot has refused to ally himself with the Arab parties, with whose support he would have the majority of seats in parliament. However, Arab leaders, outraged by what they see as the racist policies of Netanyahu and his far-right allies, nominated Eisenkot to try to form a government first, giving him the strongest support.

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Eisenkot calls for forming a "national emergency government"

After Herzog's announcement, the opposition Eisenkot called for the formation of "a national emergency government."

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"I will do everything possible to make us worthy," added the opponent in a message on his X account, in which he attached a photo of himself shaking hands with Herzog.

What are the chances of Eisenkot?

This decision by Herzog is not final. Weeks of long negotiations are expected after Eisenkot's nomination. Specifically, it has 28 days to try to form a government, with a possible extension of 14 days.

His possible routes to power include attempting to form a minority government with Arab support from abroad; form a coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties that he and his allies have shunned in the past; or forge a unity government with Netanyahu.

According to analysts, it is unlikely that all three options will come to fruition. If Eisenkot fails, another candidate can try to form a government, and if that too fails, parliament can appoint another. The process takes approximately 100 days. If no one succeeds, new elections will be held.

Likud was the party that won the most seats, with 27 in the 120-seat Knesset, but Netanyahu's broader religious nationalist coalition only won 53 in total, falling short of a 61-seat majority.

Eisenkot's Yashar party consolidated itself as the second political force with 21 seats, while its coalition, made up of four Jewish parties from center-left to right, obtained only 48 seats. Two parties representing Israel's Arab minority won a record 19 seats.

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Eisenkot against the settlers

Eisenkot, 66, the son of Moroccan immigrants, would be the country's first prime minister from Israel's Mizrahi community, Jews whose roots trace back to the Middle East and North Africa.

Reserved and averse to media attention, Eisenkot did not enter politics until 2022. He briefly served in Netanyahu's cabinet during the war, following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, before returning to the opposition.

From the opposition, he publicly rebuked Netanyahu for his leadership, including his management of the military campaign in Gaza, and vowed not to serve in the government alongside him.

Eisenkot's popularity is also tied to the personal price his family has paid since 2023: a son and two nephews died fighting in Gaza.

During the election campaign, Eisenkot highlighted his security credentials, citing his "Dahiyeh doctrine" of responding to attacks with disproportionate force, which he deployed as a commander during Israel's 2006 war against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

On the other hand, Eisenkot has criticized settler violence against Palestinians, which has skyrocketed since 2023, raising tensions in Israel's relations with Western states, and opposes Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who have faced sanctions from some Western countries for inciting violence against Palestinians.

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With Reuters, EFE and local media

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