Israel's President Taps Gadi Eisenkot to Form New Government

By Vesty

Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba

CommunityNeutral tone

Russian · 15 newsrooms covering

Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog has given Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, 28 days to form a new government. Eisenkot aims to wait for a new Knesset speaker to be elected before swearing in the government, to avoid potential delays. He is set to meet with potential coalition partners Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennett to discuss the composition of the government, with the participation of ultra-Orthodox parties being a major point of contention.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

President Yitzhak Herzog tasked Gadi Eisenkot with forming a new Israeli government on November 8.
Eisenkot has 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.
Eisenkot plans to wait for a new Knesset speaker to be elected before swearing in the government.
Eisenkot will meet with Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennett to discuss coalition possibilities.
The participation of ultra-Orthodox parties and the draft law are key issues in coalition talks.

Israel's President Taps Gadi Eisenkot to Form New Government — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog on Sunday, November 8, tasked Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, with forming a new government. Eisenkot will have 28 days to negotiate and assemble a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension, according to Israeli law. Eisenkot does not plan to swear in a new government this week, even if successful, as he intends to wait for the election of a Knesset speaker from his bloc. This move aims to prevent the current speaker, Amir Ohana, from delaying the swearing-in ceremony. The process requires the speaker to schedule a Knesset session within a week of the mandate holder announcing a successful coalition formation, a period that could be exploited to pressure lawmakers. Eisenkot's bloc has requested a vote to replace the speaker on Tuesday, November 10, but Ohana stated it would occur within a week of receiving 61 signatures, likely pushing it to the following week. Eisenkot is scheduled to meet with Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu and Naftali Bennett of Yamina on November 9 to discuss coalition composition and next steps. A key issue will be the participation of ultra-Orthodox parties, with Lieberman expressing openness to compromises on the draft law, a stance that has caused internal disagreements within Eisenkot's bloc. Bennett's party has pledged support for Eisenkot as prime minister and is ready to expedite coalition talks, but his conditions, particularly regarding the ultra-Orthodox draft law for the IDF, remain to be seen.