Eisenkot Faces Uphill Battle to Form Israeli Government

By יובל קרני

Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba

CenterCharged tone

Hebrew · 3 newsrooms covering

Gadi Eisenkot is set to attempt forming Israel's next government after receiving 67 recommendations, more than Benjamin Netanyahu's 46. President Isaac Herzog is expected to officially assign the mandate on Sunday, initiating coalition talks. Potential government formations include a minority government with external support from Ra'am or a narrow 48-seat government, though both face significant hurdles. A unity government seems improbable due to deep divisions, and the most likely outcome may be Eisenkot's failure, returning the mandate to Netanyahu.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Gadi Eisenkot received 67 recommendations to form a government, surpassing Benjamin Netanyahu's 46.
President Isaac Herzog will officially assign the government formation mandate on Sunday.
Eisenkot's potential government options include a minority government with Ra'am or a narrow 48-seat coalition.
A unity government is considered unlikely due to significant political divisions and mistrust.
The most probable outcome is Eisenkot's failure to form a government, returning the mandate to Netanyahu.

Eisenkot Faces Uphill Battle to Form Israeli Government — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, is expected to begin the challenging task of forming Israel's next government next week. Eisenkot secured 67 recommendations from Knesset members, surpassing Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu's 46, though the president has not yet officially tasked him with the mandate. The president is expected to announce who will receive the mandate on Sunday, after which coalition negotiations will commence, primarily between Eisenkot and potential partners both within and outside his bloc.

Eisenkot's negotiation strategy will reportedly focus initially on securing coalition agreements with leaders of his bloc: Naftali Bennett of Yachad, Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu, and Yair Golan of the Democrats. The article outlines several potential government configurations, each with varying degrees of feasibility.

One scenario involves a minority government supported externally by Ra'am, potentially including United Torah Judaism internally, which could muster 63 mandates. This option, however, faces challenges regarding the bloc's commitment to a genuine conscription law, and Lieberman's past opposition to partnering with Arab parties. Another possibility is a narrow 48-seat minority government, with a commitment to expand it later. This is considered a significant gamble due to its instability and limited maneuverability.

A unity government appears unlikely at this stage, with neither bloc showing a strong desire for such an arrangement, and significant disagreements over leadership rotation. Both sides have expressed strong reservations about working with each other, with accusations of divisiveness and unwillingness to negotiate. Eisenkot himself is reportedly focused on forming a government to oust Netanyahu rather than engaging in prolonged unity talks.

However, the political landscape is dynamic. If Netanyahu perceives Eisenkot as close to forming a government with the ultra-Orthodox, he might soften his stance and agree to a unity government with a rotation. A theoretical, albeit unlikely, scenario involves Netanyahu serving as prime minister for two years before becoming president, with Eisenkot then taking over as premier. The most realistic scenario, according to the article, is Eisenkot's failure to form a government within the allotted time, leading to the mandate passing back to Netanyahu under less favorable conditions for the opposition.