JERUSALEM —Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked former military chief Gadi Eisenkot — the main political opponent of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — to form the country’s next government.
Eisenkot will have 28 days to build a coalition, with a possible two-week extension. His Yashar party won 21 Knesset seats, and his opposition bloc 48 in all, short of the 61 needed for a majority.
One option is to bring in one or both of the Arab parties, which together won a record 19 seats — eight for Raam and 11 for the Joint List. Eisenkot could also try to form a minority government with their outside support.
However, Avigdor Liberman, a member of Eisenkot’s bloc who is the hawkish leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, has fiercely opposed such a move. Eisenkot, a centrist on the Israeli political spectrum, previously has also expressed reservations about such a coalition.
Since the election on Oct. 27, the two Arab parties have indicated willingness to propel Eisenkot to the prime minister’s office.
“Following President Isaac Herzog’s announcement at the conclusion of the round of consultations on Thursday that he would hold further conversations over the weekend, this evening (November 7, 2026), the President informed the Leader of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, of his intention to task him with forming a government,” Herzog’s office said in a statement following the end of the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday.
“President Herzog has invited Gadi Eisenkot to the President’s Residence, where he will be tasked with forming the government tomorrow (November 8, 2026) at 17:00,” the statement said.
“During the round of consultations, factions totaling 67 members of Knesset recommended to President Herzog that Yashar Leader Gadi Eisenkot be tasked with forming the government,” the statement added. “Factions totaling 46 members of Knesset recommended Prime Minister and Likud Leader Benjamin Netanyahu MK, and one faction of seven members of Knesset chose not to recommend anyone.”
Eisenkot has also not ruled out partnering with ultra-Orthodox parties, longtime allies of Netanyahu that are part of his 53-seat bloc.
During the campaign, Eisenkot said any party meeting his conditions, including mandatory service for all and a commitment to ending Hamas’s rule in Gaza, could join.
If Eisenkot fails, Herzog — who as president has the power to anoint with a mandate the leader he thinks has the best chance of forming a workable government — is expected to turn to Netanyahu, who would have only 28 days to form a coalition.
If he also fails, a majority of lawmakers could ask the president to tap another candidate; otherwise, Israel would head to another election.
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