Commentator: Eisenkot Lacks Ability to Form Government
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Senior commentator Nadav Eyal believes Gadi Eisenkot cannot form a government, outlining a "nightmare scenario" where Benjamin Netanyahu could form a coalition with Avigdor Lieberman. Eyal suggests that if Eisenkot fails, President Herzog would give Netanyahu the mandate, potentially leading to a rotation deal with Lieberman. This could leave Netanyahu needing only one more Knesset member from the 'Change bloc' to secure a majority, though Lieberman's public stance against Netanyahu and the difficulty of swaying additional MKs present obstacles.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Commentator Nadav Eyal assesses Gadi Eisenkot cannot form a minority government.
- Eyal describes a "nightmare scenario" for the 'Change bloc' involving Netanyahu and Lieberman.
- Benjamin Netanyahu could receive a mandate from President Herzog to form a government.
- Avigdor Lieberman might accept a rotation deal with Netanyahu, according to Eyal.
- Securing an additional MK from the 'Change bloc' would be difficult, Eyal notes.
Senior commentator Nadav Eyal has presented a bleak analysis of the political landscape, suggesting that Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the 'Change bloc,' currently lacks the stability and capability to form a minority government. Eyal argues that a coalition led by Eisenkot would face active opposition from the 53 seats held by Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc plus Avigdor Lieberman's seven seats. This scenario would require the ultra-Orthodox party of United Torah Judaism to abstain, a difficult proposition, and would still necessitate reliance on Arab parties, making it challenging for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Eyal outlines a "nightmare scenario" for the 'Change bloc' where a government based on the ultra-Orthodox, the 'Change bloc,' and Lieberman is impossible because Shas, led by Aryeh Deri, would not permit it. Lieberman, in this scenario, would push for opposition to conscription proposals and sanctions. As a result, Eisenkot would fail to form a coalition within the allotted time, and the mandate would return to President Yitzhak Herzog.
Subsequently, Netanyahu would receive the mandate from the President and offer Lieberman a rotation agreement for the premiership. Eyal believes Lieberman would likely accept, seeing an opportunity to dictate terms and potentially regain influence within the Likud party, unlike Benny Gantz. This could lead to a 60-60 Knesset split, requiring just one additional member from the 'Change bloc' to form a Netanyahu-Lieberman government.
Despite this possibility, Eyal notes significant caveats. Lieberman continues to publicly state that Netanyahu should not serve as prime minister. Furthermore, Eyal suggests that securing an additional Knesset member from the opposing bloc would be difficult in the current political climate, which he describes as not being the "era of the Silaimans in the change bloc."
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