Eisenkot Mandated to Form Israeli Govt After Knesset Deadlock

Jerusalem – President Isaac Herzog has officially tasked Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the centrist Yashar party, with the responsibility of forming a new government in Israel. This decision follows legislative elections held last month that failed to produce a clear majority winner. The mandate ceremony is scheduled to take place at the president’s residence on Sunday.

A statement released by the president’s office on Saturday evening confirmed the appointment. The choice came after President Herzog conducted consultations with key political figures over several days, including Eisenkot and incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the presidential statement, factions totaling 67 members of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, expressed support for Eisenkot. In contrast, 46 lawmakers backed Netanyahu.

The procedural timeline for government formation allows the designated candidate 28 days to assemble a coalition. The president holds the authority to extend this deadline by a maximum of 14 days if necessary. Should Eisenkot fail to secure a governing majority within this period, the president may assign the mandate to a second leader. That individual would face a fresh deadline of up to 28 days. If the second attempt also collapses, the Knesset can request a third candidate to try, who would be given 14 days to succeed. A complete failure across all rounds triggers the calling of new elections.

Eisenkot, a former military chief, stated his commitment to doing everything required to form a new administration. The recent election results highlighted a fragmented political landscape. Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party remained the largest single entity with 27 seats. However, his overall camp secured only 53 seats out of the 120-seat chamber. The opposition bloc led by Yashar ended with 48 seats. Both major camps fell significantly short of the majority needed to govern alone.

Notable shifts occurred among minority groups. Arab parties achieved a record total of 19 seats combined. Following the announcement, Netanyahu called for the creation of a national unity government on Saturday. The distribution of seats underscores the difficulty in forming stable coalitions without broad cross-party agreements.

This report was produced in the Europe Brief News newsroom.