Israeli President Tasks Opposition Leader Gadi Eisenkot With Forming New Government

OPA WIRE, Nov 8 (OPA) — Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced Saturday evening that Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the centrist Yashar party, will receive the mandate to form the country's next government. The decision follows a series of consultations held at the president's residence over the past several days with key political figures, including Eisenkot and incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the president's office, factions representing 67 members of the Knesset backed Eisenkot during the consultations, while 46 lawmakers threw their support behind Netanyahu. Herzog formally invited Eisenkot to the presidential residence for the ceremony to confer the mandate. Both leaders' blocs fell short of an outright majority in last month's elections, with Netanyahu's camp securing 53 seats and the opposition bloc finishing with 48.

Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party remained the largest individual faction in the 120-seat parliament with 27 seats, while Arab parties secured a record 19 seats. The transition comes after Netanyahu publicly called for the formation of a broad national unity government earlier on Saturday. Eisenkot, a former military chief, has vowed to exhaust every effort to successfully assemble a ruling coalition.

Under Israeli law, a designated candidate is allotted 28 days to form a government, with a maximum 14-day extension permitted by the president if necessary. Should Eisenkot fail to secure a coalition within the timeframe, the president can assign a second candidate a 28-day window. If subsequent efforts collapse entirely, the Knesset can petition for a third candidate before triggering fresh elections.