Eisenkot Offers Netanyahu Role in Israel’s Next Government

Israel’s opposition leader, Gadi Eisenkot, has indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could join his proposed government, in a move aimed at securing enough support to form a new administration.

Eisenkot, whom President Isaac Herzog has formally tasked with forming the next government, also signalled willingness to work with Netanyahu’s far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

Speaking at a ceremony at Herzog’s office in Jerusalem on Sunday, Eisenkot called on members of Netanyahu’s Likud Party and Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party to support his proposed administration.

He said their previous calls for national unity should translate into support for a government under his leadership.

Eisenkot, who contested the election as Netanyahu’s main challenger, has six weeks to assemble a coalition and secure parliamentary backing.

He pledged to govern in the interests of all Israelis and represent different sections of the country’s population.

However, the task faces major political obstacles following the October 27 elections, which failed to give either major political bloc enough seats to form a government independently.

Eisenkot’s four-party alliance secured 48 seats, while Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc won 53 seats in the 120-member parliament, known as the Knesset.

Both camps need at least 61 seats to command a parliamentary majority.

Arab-led parties, which represent Palestinian citizens of Israel, secured a record 19 seats in the election and could potentially provide the additional support Eisenkot needs.

However, Eisenkot has ruled out forming a government with them, complicating his efforts to reach the required majority.

He could instead seek the backing of two ultra-Orthodox parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas. Their support would give his coalition exactly 61 seats.

Alternatively, he could attempt to govern with fewer than 61 seats if he secures enough support in a parliamentary confidence vote.

At Sunday’s ceremony, Herzog warned that Israel needed a stable government amid changing international political circumstances.

He specifically pointed to the November 3 United States midterm elections, which produced victories for several politicians critical of Israel and Washington’s military support for the country.

Herzog said the results had created a new political reality that made stable leadership increasingly important for Israel.

Eisenkot brings considerable military experience to the political contest. He served as chief of the Israeli military from 2015 to 2019.

He also sat as an observer in Netanyahu’s war cabinet during the first eight months of Israel’s war on Gaza, which began in October 2023.

Despite his involvement in the war cabinet, Arab-led parties endorsed him for the mandate to replace Netanyahu.

The political uncertainty has also raised questions about whether the opposition can prevent Netanyahu from retaining power.

Reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh said Netanyahu could still frustrate Eisenkot’s efforts to build a coalition.

She explained that Netanyahu would remain caretaker prime minister while Eisenkot attempts to form a government.

If Eisenkot fails within the stipulated period, Herzog could give Netanyahu another opportunity to assemble a coalition.

Should Netanyahu also fail, Israel could hold another election, while he continues as caretaker prime minister.

Odeh said critics of Netanyahu believe he could benefit from such a prolonged political stalemate.

The situation has also exposed divisions within Israel’s opposition over the role of Arab-led parties in national politics.

The central question now is whether Netanyahu’s opponents can agree on a government that excludes him, despite their refusal to work with Arab-led parties.

That disagreement could determine whether Israel gets a new government or returns to another election.