Herzog Mandates Gadi Eisenkot to Form Israeli Government After Inconclusive Election

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a new government following an inconclusive parliamentary election. The announcement follows consultations with party leaders after last week's vote failed to produce a clear majority for either major political alliance in the 120-seat Knesset.

Eisenkot, the former military chief who leads the centrist Yashar party, has been given 28 days to build a coalition administration. Under Israeli law, the mandate can be extended by up to 14 days if additional time is required. Writing on the social media platform X after the appointment, Eisenkot stated: Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything to ensure we are worthy.

The official vote count allocated 53 seats to the right-wing bloc led by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, together with its far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies. Eisenkot's centrist alliance, which includes Yashar and three other Jewish opposition parties, obtained 48 seats. Neither group reached the 61 seats required to command an absolute majority.

An increased turnout among Arab voters led to 19 seats for two Arab-led groups, the United Arab List and the Joint List. While their combined total positions them as potential key figures in parliamentary arithmetic, all but one of the Jewish parties pledged prior to the election that they would not enter into a coalition with them.

No single party in Israel has ever won an outright majority, requiring all previous administrations to be formed through multi-party coalitions. As talks open, Eisenkot has 28 days to present a viable coalition to the Knesset before the initial deadline expires.

Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com