Israel president gives Eisenkot first chance to form new government after deadlocked election

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has chosen former military chief Gadi Eisenkot to try to form the country's next government after the October 27 election failed to produce a majority. Herzog informed Eisenkot on Saturday evening and is due to formally hand over the mandate at a ceremony on Sunday at the presidential residence in Jerusalem. The move gives Eisenkot the first opportunity to assemble a coalition and potentially end Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure as prime minister.

According to the president's office, parties representing 67 lawmakers recommended Eisenkot, compared with 46 for Netanyahu's bloc. Eisenkot will have 28 days to build a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension if needed. Any government must command at least 61 of the Knesset's 120 seats, and the election left both major camps short of that threshold.

The decision follows consultations with all political parties this week, after the vote produced a fragmented parliament and no clear governing majority. Eisenkot's four-party alliance won 48 seats, while Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc secured 53. Arab-led parties won a record 19 seats, and their backing helped shape the recommendation count, although Eisenkot has ruled out forming a government with them.

The mandate is significant because the Israeli president's role, while largely formal, can influence which leader gets the first chance to form a coalition after an inconclusive election. In a parliament as divided as this one, smaller parties can determine whether a candidate reaches the majority needed to govern. The outcome will therefore shape not only who leads the next cabinet, but also whether Israel moves toward a period of relative stability or another election.

Eisenkot's position also reflects the shifting arithmetic of coalition politics in Israel. His path to a majority could depend on persuading the two ultra-Orthodox parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, to join him, which would bring him to exactly 61 seats. That possibility has opened a route that was not expected before the election, even as right-leaning opposition figures remain wary of relying on Arab votes.

Netanyahu, who has led Israel on and off for nearly two decades, remains a central figure in the negotiations despite being passed over for the first mandate. He has warned that a government formed with Arab-led support would lead to collapse, while also calling for a unity government. Herzog, who has a non-partisan role, has signalled interest in a broader national unity arrangement, but no such deal has yet emerged from the talks.

The broader backdrop is a political system that has struggled to produce stable majorities in recent years, leaving coalition bargaining to decide the shape of government. Eisenkot, a former army chief who also served as an observer in Netanyahu's war cabinet for the first eight months of the Gaza war, is now trying to convert recommendations into a workable parliamentary majority. His success would mark a major shift in Israeli politics, but the numbers remain tight and the negotiations are still at an early stage.

What remains unclear is whether Eisenkot can secure the support needed within the allotted time and whether any parties will change their positions during the talks. The formal handover on Sunday will begin the next phase, but the coalition arithmetic is still uncertain. If he fails, the mandate could pass to another lawmaker or the country could head toward another election, extending the political deadlock.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has formally chosen former military chief Gadi Eisenkot to try to form the country's next government after last month's election produced no clear majority. The decision follows consultations with parties in the 120-seat Knesset and comes after a deadlock in which neither Eisenkot nor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured a straightforward path to power. Herzog is expected to invite Eisenkot to his residence to receive the mandate, beginning a 28-day attempt to assemble a coalition.

The latest figures cited in the consultations showed broad support for Eisenkot, with most parties recommending him for the first attempt at government formation. Arab-Israeli parties endorsed him during the talks, while Netanyahu's bloc remained short of the numbers needed to govern on its own. The election left Netanyahu's religious-nationalist alliance as the largest bloc in parliament, but not large enough to command a majority.

The choice matters because Israel's president has a formal but influential role in deciding which lawmaker gets the first chance to build a coalition after an inconclusive vote. That process is especially significant in a fragmented parliament, where smaller parties can determine whether a candidate can reach the 61 seats needed for a majority. If Eisenkot fails to assemble a government within the allotted period, the country could face another election and a further stretch of political uncertainty.

The deadlock also reflects the limits of the available coalition options. Eisenkot has been backed by parties representing Israel's Palestinian minority, but he has ruled out bringing them into government, which complicates the arithmetic of coalition-building. Netanyahu, meanwhile, would need to persuade opposition lawmakers to join him, while some of the parties that previously supported his coalition have not given him the same backing this time.

The consultations have highlighted the leverage held by Arab-led parties, which won a record 19 seats in the election. Their endorsements have helped shape the recommendation count, even though both leading candidates have rejected governing with them. The situation also underlines the continuing fragmentation of Israeli politics, where no single bloc has been able to secure a stable majority on its own.

What remains unclear is whether Eisenkot can turn the recommendation tally into a workable coalition and whether parties that have opposed one another can bridge their differences. Herzog's formal invitation is the next step, and the coming days will show whether the mandate can produce a government or whether the deadlock will continue. The outcome will determine whether Israel moves toward a new administration or back toward another election.

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