Eisenkot Bloc Plans Gradual Coalition Building to Form Government

Officials within the "change bloc" are accelerating discussions to form a government led by Gadi Eisenkot, despite ongoing disagreements among the parties. The strategy now being considered involves forming an initial coalition and then expanding it to include other political factions, particularly the Orthodox parties. This approach aims to enable the government to begin making political decisions without waiting for all coalition agreements to be finalized.

Yoram Cohen, former director of the Shin Bet and a representative for Eisenkot's Yashar! party, presented this strategy during consultations at President Isaac Herzog's residence. Citing challenges such as the US election results, Israeli election disputes, and security concerns, Cohen emphasized the need for a national emergency government. He expressed confidence in achieving this goal and reiterated Eisenkot's four campaign principles, stating that the door would remain open to new partners even after the government's inauguration.

According to Channel N12, the proposed plan would initially rely on the 48 seats held by the change bloc. If the United Torah Judaism party does not join, this bloc would have 48 seats compared to 46 for other Jewish parties, which would not constitute an absolute majority in the Knesset. The bloc's leaders hope that once the initial steps are taken, new cooperation opportunities will emerge, especially with the Orthodox parties.

In parallel, an initial agreement has been reached regarding the State Comptroller position. The change bloc parties have agreed to support the candidacy of former Supreme Court judge Yosef Elron. They had considered reopening the selection process but decided against it, fearing they would not complete it within the timeframe given to Eisenkot to form the government. This decision follows the withdrawal of the candidacy of Michael Rabilo, a former personal counsel to Benjamin Netanyahu.

Parliamentary preparations are also underway, though discussions on Knesset committee compositions are still in their early stages. President Herzog is expected to assign the government formation mandate early next week, before the new Knesset is sworn in on Tuesday. The replacement of the Assembly's speaker is anticipated about a week later, making these initial deadlines crucial for the change bloc's strategy to translate political progress into concrete agreements.