Eisenkot formally received the mandate to form Israel’s government Sunday. He promised an unconventional path to a coalition.
Gadi Eisenkot formally received the mandate to form Israel’s next government on Sunday at a ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. The Yashar party leader vowed to pursue a “national emergency government” through creative and unconventional means. He did not say which direction he would take in coalition talks.
President Isaac Herzog urged Eisenkot to build the most stable and lasting government possible to meet Israel’s immense challenges. Herzog said Eisenkot has the clear support of a majority of lawmakers, with 67 recommendations in consultations compared with 46 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s Likud remains the largest party with 27 seats, six more than Yashar. Eisenkot has 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. Netanyahu stays caretaker prime minister in the meantime.
Both leaders ruled out working with Arab-led parties before the election, which could now be kingmakers. On Saturday, Netanyahu released a video warning against partnering with them, calling them supporters of Hamas. Eisenkot called the video hysterical. The Times of Israel reported signs ultra-Orthodox parties may drift from Netanyahu. Herzog has also raised the possibility of a unity government of the two rivals, an idea many lawmakers oppose.
This report draws on the Times of Israel, ABC News, NPR and the Jerusalem Post.