Eisenkot Receives Mandate to Form Government, Faces Tight Deadlines
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Gadi Eisenkot, Chairman of the National Unity Party, received the mandate to form Israel's 38th government from President Isaac Herzog on Sunday, November 8, 2026. He has 28 days, extendable by up to 14 days, to succeed. If Eisenkot fails, another candidate will have 28 days, and a third candidate, if supported by 61 MKs, will have 14 days. Failure to form a government by February 26, 2027, will lead to new elections.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Gadi Eisenkot has 28 days, extendable to 42, to form Israel's 38th government.
- President Isaac Herzog officially tasked Eisenkot with forming the government on Sunday, November 8, 2026.
- If Eisenkot fails, another candidate gets 28 days, and a third candidate gets 14 days.
- Failure to form a government by February 26, 2027, will trigger new elections.
- The 26th Knesset is scheduled to convene on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
Gadi Eisenkot, Chairman of the National Unity Party, will officially receive the mandate to form the 38th government from Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday evening. The decision to task Eisenkot was made just before the 26th Knesset is set to convene on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. This follows consultations where a majority of Knesset factions recommended Eisenkot for the role.
According to Basic Law: The Government, Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a new government, with a potential extension of up to 14 additional days granted by the President. This gives him a maximum of 42 days, until December 20, 2026, to succeed. If he fails to form a government within this timeframe, or if a proposed government fails to gain Knesset approval, the mandate will return to President Herzog.
Should Eisenkot be unable to form a government, President Herzog has three days to consult with party leaders and potentially assign the mandate to another Knesset member. This second candidate would also have 28 days to form a government, extending the deadline to January 20, 2027.
In a scenario where a second candidate also fails, at least 61 Knesset members can petition the President to assign the mandate to a specific MK who agrees to take it. This third candidate would have 14 days to form a government, with the final deadline for this stage being February 26, 2027.
If no candidate succeeds in forming a government by these deadlines, the Knesset will be dissolved, and new elections will be called. The election date would be set for the last Tuesday before 90 days from the announcement of the government's failure, potentially by May 27, 2027.