Eisenkot Faces Public Failure as Bennett, Lieberman Weigh Crucial Knesset Vote
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Gadi Eisenkot is attempting to form a government with only 67 Knesset recommendations, falling short of a majority. The abstention of United Torah Judaism from recommending Benjamin Netanyahu presents an opportunity for Eisenkot, but securing enough votes remains a challenge. Leaders Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman may benefit politically from Eisenkot's potential failure, allowing them to avoid blame and potentially position themselves for future government formation attempts.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Gadi Eisenkot faces challenges forming a government with only 67 Knesset recommendations.
- United Torah Judaism abstained from recommending a candidate, breaking from its bloc.
- Bennett and Lieberman could benefit politically if Eisenkot fails to form a government.
- Securing enough votes for a government remains a significant hurdle for Eisenkot.
- Lieberman has signaled willingness to compromise on the conscription issue.
Gadi Eisenkot is risking public failure as he attempts to form a government, with only 67 recommendations from Knesset members, falling short of the necessary majority. The ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism, holding seven mandates, has abstained from recommending any candidate, a move that does not necessarily signal a shift in allegiance but breaks from its traditional support for Benjamin Netanyahu. This abstention allows Eisenkot an opportunity to transcend the established political blocs, but the 67 recommendations do not guarantee 67 votes for a government, as 19 of those recommendations come from Arab party members, leaving the "change bloc" with only 48 mandates.
Eisenkot faces the challenge of securing enough votes for a government, compounded by the fact that some of his recommenders could politically benefit from his failure. Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman, who recommended Eisenkot without prior conditions, could claim they gave him a full opportunity if he fails, thus avoiding blame. His potential failure might even strengthen their positions as candidates to lead a subsequent government formation attempt, although the mandate would not automatically transfer to either of them.
Bennett and Lieberman are currently allowing Eisenkot to navigate the internal contradictions within his bloc before they must commit to compromises to replace Netanyahu. Lieberman has indicated a willingness to compromise on the conscription issue, but the extent of his flexibility remains unclear. If they reject any plan Eisenkot proposes, they will struggle to justify their initial support, while agreeing to compromises that contradict their commitments could erode voter trust.
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