Eisenkot Vows New Government After Election Results

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yishar party, has tweeted for the first time since his election night speech, reaffirming his commitment to forming a new government and "fulfilling the will of the voters." Despite initial projections not granting him the decisive victory he hoped for, Eisenkot stated he is preparing for "long workdays" and pledged to establish a "Zionist conscription government." He described this goal as bringing change to Israel and reflecting the public's desire to move past the "October 7th government and the draft dodgers."

Eisenkot expressed his personal sense of responsibility to the hundreds of thousands of citizens who believe in Israel and Zionism, thanking his supporters for making history by founding a new pan-Israeli party within a year. He presented his party as a "worthy and state-level governing alternative" and vowed to succeed in the significant task ahead.

Currently, the Yishar party holds 21 seats, and the left-wing bloc is far from the 61 seats needed for a majority without Arab parties. The current seat distribution shows the left bloc with 48 seats, Netanyahu's bloc with 53, and the joint list and Ra'am with 19. The political picture remains unresolved, and Eisenkot currently lacks a majority to form a government without the support of Arab parties.

Following the election, Eisenkot declared the end of an "era of evasion, failure, and lies." He also addressed security and public service leaders, asserting that Benjamin Netanyahu is an interim prime minister "without a mandate or trust," while promising them his backing. Despite these strong declarations, the current seat count does not support his ambition to form a government without Arab party support, highlighting a gap between his pronouncements and the political reality.

The vote count is not yet complete, with over 400 regular polling stations still being processed and the counting of special ballots, including those from soldiers, ongoing. These remaining votes could potentially alter the final seat distribution.