Herzog tasks Eisenkot with forming Israeli government after inconclusive election

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and former chief of the Israel Defense Forces, with forming the country's next government following the October 27 election that left no party with a clear majority. Herzog announced his decision on Saturday evening and will formally hand Eisenkot the mandate at a ceremony on Sunday at the president's residence in Jerusalem.

Eisenkot received backing from 67 lawmakers during Herzog's consultations with political parties—including 48 from his four-party opposition alliance and 19 from Arab-led parties—compared with only 46 endorsements for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two ultra-Orthodox parties, which together hold 13 seats, declined to recommend either candidate. Under Israeli law, Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a coalition of at least 61 of the Knesset's 120 seats, with a possible 14-day extension. If he fails, Herzog may nominate another candidate or allow Netanyahu to attempt coalition-building.

Eisenkot's path to a majority remains challenging despite his numerical advantage in recommendations. His opposition alliance won 48 seats, while Netanyahu's right-wing and religious-nationalist coalition secured 53 seats—both falling short of the 61-seat threshold. Although Arab-led parties have endorsed Eisenkot and control 19 seats, he has ruled out including them in his government, as has right-wing coalition partner Avigdor Lieberman. Eisenkot would need support from the two ultra-Orthodox parties to reach 61 seats, though negotiations over military conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men remain contentious.

In response to Herzog's decision, Netanyahu called for a national unity government and warned that a government relying on Arab-party support would destabilize Israel, accusations critics say reflect Netanyahu's efforts to undermine the election outcome. Israel's Central Election Committee has confirmed the election's integrity was not compromised. Netanyahu remains in a caretaker role until a new government takes office. If all coalition attempts fail within approximately 100 days, new elections must be held.

Eisenkot, 66, led Israel's military from 2015 to 2019 and has positioned himself as a unifying figure after Netanyahu's divisive tenure. In his first response to the designation, Eisenkot wrote on social media: "This is the time to establish a national emergency government. I will do anything possible to prove us worthy."