JERUSALEM — Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Saturday night that he was giving opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a governing coalition following elections on Oct. 27.
Eisenkot, a former military chief, ran as the main challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading a bloc of parties seeking to oust Israel’s longest-serving leader.
Neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu won a clear majority in the vote. But in marathon discussions with the president this week, representatives from most of Israel’s main parties recommended Eisenkot be tasked with assembling a new government.
The announcement, which had been expected Sunday, came shortly after Netanyahu called for a “national unity government” in a video statement and warned against “hastily swearing in a government with terrorist supporters” — an apparent reference to the Arab-led parties.
Netanyahu and his allies have repeatedly portrayed the Arab-led parties as a threat to national security, while Eisenkot has indicated a willingness to partner with them under certain conditions, including calling Hamas a terrorist group that needs to be disbanded.
Eisenkot’s party, Yashar, slammed the prime minister’s video with a statement posted on X and urged members of Netanyah’s Lukud party to disavow their alliance with “radical parties,” in an apparent reference to the more extreme parties in the religious-nationalist government.
The statement said that Eisenkot would only include parties and parliament members who support its principles, including recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Dell’Orto writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Julia Frankel contributed to this report.
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