Eisenkot Vows Emergency Government, No Concessions on Hamas Military Strength

Gadi Eisenkot, head of the "Yashar" party tasked with forming the government, announced Tuesday his intention to establish an emergency government. He stressed that there would be no concessions regarding the elimination of Hamas's military power and authority in Gaza. Eisenkot's statements coincide with the opening of the 26th Knesset and his mandate to form a new government amid complex negotiations among parties aiming to end Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure.

Eisenkot faces the challenge of building a coalition that can gain Knesset confidence, given differing party stances on security and political issues, including mandatory military service and the role of Arab parties. In parallel, the opposition, comprising "Yashar," "Together," "Democrats," and "Yisrael Beiteinu," has formally requested to replace the current Knesset Speaker, Amir Ohana of the Likud party.

These moves aim to shift control within the legislative body before the new government is formed. Ohana stated he is willing to put his replacement to an early vote if a formal request with at least 61 Knesset signatures is submitted, promising the vote within a week of the request. The opposition's actions gain significance from the recent election results, where parties recommending Eisenkot received support from 67 Knesset members, compared to 46 for Netanyahu.

President Yitzhak Herzog officially tasked Eisenkot with forming the government on November 8th, granting him 28 days with a possible 14-day extension. However, Eisenkot's coalition efforts are complicated by the fact that the four opposition parties hold only 48 of the Knesset's 120 seats, requiring support from other parties to secure parliamentary confidence.

Eisenkot has invited parties and Knesset members outside the opposition bloc to join, provided they adhere to four principles: recognizing Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, accepting the values of the Declaration of Independence, imposing military, national, or civil service on all, and recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization committed to dismantling its military power. The "Yashar" party also attempted to gain support from the ultra-Orthodox parties "Shas" and "United Torah Judaism" for replacing the Knesset Speaker, but "United Torah Judaism" refused until the government is formed.

The formation of the next government thus faces two parallel tests: securing a parliamentary majority for Eisenkot's emergency government pledge and solidifying the opposition's control over key Knesset positions, while the identities and support levels of potential government partners remain undecided. Mansour Abbas's position on Eisenkot's conditions for government entry was also recently revealed.