Israeli President Isaac Herzog has given opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the first chance to form a government, a setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose bloc finished 14 seats short of his rival's backers. Herzog announced the decision Saturday night, a day earlier than expected, according to the Associated Press.
The timing was pointed. AP reported that the announcement came shortly after Netanyahu released a video calling for a "national unity government" and warning against "hastily swearing in a government with terrorist supporters," an apparent reference to the Arab-led parties that now sit at the center of the count.
Eisenkot, a former military chief who led the challengers' bloc, did not take the offer. His Yashar party answered on X, and AP said it urged Likud members to disavow their alliance with "radical parties," an apparent reference to the harder-right partners in Netanyahu's religious-nationalist base. Eisenkot himself said, as relayed on X, that "those who have divided and torn apart Israeli society from within only mention the word 'unity' when they realize their time in office is coming to an end."
The arithmetic is why Herzog moved. The Oct. 27 vote left no one with a majority, and when the Central Elections Committee certified the results Nov. 4, Netanyahu's bloc had 53 of the Knesset's 120 seats, down from 68, against 48 for Eisenkot's. The Arab-led Joint List and Ra'am took a record 19, and 61 are needed to govern.
Those 19 seats decide it. Ra'am endorsed Eisenkot on Wednesday, and as we reported, the Joint List followed on Thursday, bringing the total backing him to 67, according to Middle East Eye. The Joint List said it would back an opposition government from outside the coalition rather than take ministries. Ynet's count before that endorsement had 60 recommendations for Eisenkot and 46 for Netanyahu, built from Likud's 27 seats and the Otzma Yehudit, Shas and Religious Zionism parties.
Eisenkot has said he will not serve in any government led by Netanyahu, and as we reported earlier this week, he turned down a US-backed unity arrangement even at President Donald Trump's personal request, according to Israel's public broadcaster KAN. Ynet had reported earlier that Herzog himself raised a Netanyahu-Eisenkot unity government, which his office denied.
The mandate is only the first step as Eisenkot now has 28 days to assemble a coalition, with an extension of up to 14 more, ynet reported. If he fails, Herzog can hand the task to another lawmaker, usually from the rival bloc, or send it to the Knesset, and if no one wins a confidence vote the Knesset dissolves and Israel goes back to the polls. An Eisenkot government would lean on Arab-led parties that most of Israel's political class has promised to keep out, as we noted in our look at the deadlock. AP said Eisenkot has signaled willingness to partner with them under conditions, including calling Hamas a terrorist group that must be destroyed.
Netanyahu's camp has spent the week contesting the result instead, with his party alleging bribery, forgery and intimidation at polling stations in Arab-majority towns and said Qatari money reached Arab-led parties. Police arrested seven suspects, but the elections committee found no systemic irregularities and dismissed Likud's motions, according to Brussels Signal's account of the Nov. 4 certification. Ra'am denies involvement.
Washington is left watching from an awkward spot given Trump's double endorsement of Netanyahu before the vote, then his announcement that the US would end its roughly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel by year-end. The two men are also at odds over whether to restart the war with Iran, which Netanyahu pressed Trump to do right after the US midterms, and which a post describing Netanyahu's video says he cast as the reason for unity.
Israelis are not sold on either path, with a Direct Polls survey for i24 on Nov. 2, posted on X by the account Israel Elects, found 34% preferring a Netanyahu-led unity government and 34% preferring new elections, against 16% for an Eisenkot-led minority government and 14% for an Eisenkot-led unity government.
The mandate does not make Eisenkot prime minister, and Netanyahu remains in office until a new government is sworn in. Eisenkot has 28 days to prove he can hold the 61 seats together with Arab-led parties outside his cabinet and Netanyahu outside his tent.