WorldPosted at: Nov 8 2026 5:16PM


Israeli President Isaac Herzog selects Gadi Eisenkot to form country's next government amid intensifying coalition talks

Jerusalem, Nov 8 (UNI) Israeli President Isaac Herzog has formally selected Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot to form the country's next government, giving him 28 days to assemble a coalition as opposition parties explore potential partnerships with ultra-Orthodox factions, Arab-led parties and even members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud.
Eisenkot will receive the mandate at a ceremony at the President's Residence on Sunday at 5pm. Herzog can grant him an extension of up to 14 days if required. Should he fail, Netanyahu could be given a subsequent opportunity to form a government.
Herzog announced his decision on Saturday evening after consultations with all Knesset factions on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by further discussions with political leaders over the weekend.
During the consultations, Eisenkot received recommendations from lawmakers representing 67 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 46 for Netanyahu. The seven-seat United Torah Judaism (UTJ) made no recommendation.
Reacting to the announcement, Eisenkot wrote on X that "now is the time for the formation of a national emergency government", adding: "I will do everything to make us worthy."
However, securing a governing majority remains complicated. Eisenkot's opposition bloc consists of 48 lawmakers from four Jewish-led parties, while the two Arab-led parties, the Joint List and Ra'am, hold a combined 19 seats. Although all six factions recommended Eisenkot, three of the Jewish-led parties have so far rejected relying on Arab support to form a government.
Yashar said on Saturday that Likud and its allies could potentially join an Eisenkot-led administration, although it did not extend the offer to Netanyahu himself. Eisenkot has repeatedly ruled out entering a coalition with the outgoing prime minister, arguing that anyone who held a position of significant power when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 should leave public life.
An alternative coalition arrangement has also emerged, with Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman signalling that he is prepared to reconsider his longstanding opposition to partnering with ultra-Orthodox parties.
Liberman said on Friday that he would accept what he described as "painful compromises" over Haredi military conscription to form a government without Netanyahu or the Arab-led parties and avoid another election. UTJ's leadership has also indicated an openness to discussing such an arrangement.
The possibility of cooperation has raised questions about the position of Shas, the other major ultra-Orthodox party. Channel 12 reported on Saturday that a source close to the Council of Torah Sages, the rabbinical authority guiding Shas, said the party would not oppose an Eisenkot-led government if the spiritual leadership of UTJ approved an agreement.
"There is no scenario in which Shas rabbis will act against United Torah Judaism rabbis. This would lead to a huge split in the Haredi street," the source was quoted as saying.
Channel 13 reported similar comments from an unnamed UTJ official, who suggested that Shas would have little choice but to support an arrangement approved by the rabbis.
Together, the 48-member opposition bloc, UTJ's seven lawmakers and Shas's six seats could provide a narrow 61-seat parliamentary majority, potentially allowing Eisenkot to form a government without relying on the Arab parties.
Shas, however, dismissed reports that it could join an Eisenkot-led administration as "total fake news", reiterating its allegiance to the right-wing bloc.
"As instructed by the Council of Torah Sages, Shas is part of the right-wing bloc, lovers of Torah and Jewish tradition," the party said.
Channel 13 also reported that Liberman and ultra-Orthodox political figures had maintained a secret backchannel for several months, including before the election, to explore the possibility of joining forces in a government.
The discussions were reportedly facilitated by Liberman associates, including Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion and Haredi political adviser Avi Abuhatzeira, and were kept from most members of Yisrael Beytenu.
Liberman was previously a close political ally of the ultra-Orthodox parties but fell out with Netanyahu in 2019. Since then, he has become one of the most vocal opponents of efforts to preserve military-service exemptions for most Haredi men.
An unnamed ultra-Orthodox official quoted by Channel 13 said Liberman had "paid upfront" by publicly reversing a position that had become central to his political identity.
The reports also suggested Netanyahu was putting considerable pressure on UTJ to prevent it from entering an arrangement with Liberman.
Any partnership between the opposition and the ultra-Orthodox parties would require substantial compromises over military service. Eisenkot's Yashar, Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad and Yair Golan's Democrats all campaigned on ending broad military exemptions for Haredi men and removing state benefits for families of draft evaders.
Eisenkot reiterated on Friday that any party seeking to join his government would have to support mandatory military, national or civil service, arguing that the policy was necessary to strengthen the Israel Defence Forces and expand its ranks.
Golan also expressed willingness to cooperate with ultra-Orthodox factions but outlined several conditions, including conscription, greater participation in the workforce and changes to the relationship between religion and public services.
"Unlike Netanyahu, we won't go to Bnei Brak or Mea Shearim," Golan wrote on Saturday, referring to areas with large ultra-Orthodox populations. "Whoever wants a partnership with us needs to come meet us in Ramat Gan."
He said young Haredi men should be enlisted and integrated into the workforce, adding that every child in Israel should receive the education and opportunities needed to earn a living.
"The middle class alone can no longer continue to carry the economic and security burden," he said.
Golan also called for greater recognition of secular lifestyles and public services, including the ability to access public transport and commercial establishments on Shabbat.
He said his party respected the ultra-Orthodox way of life but would not offer its potential partners "a blank cheque".
Meanwhile, the incoming Knesset is expected to elect a new speaker shortly after being sworn in on November 10, replacing the Likud incumbent, Amir Ohana. The speaker has considerable influence over parliamentary proceedings and, alongside deputies, controls the legislative agenda.
On Thursday, Ra'am formally joined Yashar, the Joint List, Yisrael Beytenu and the Democrats in seeking an early vote on the speakership. Ohana has said he would schedule a debate on his replacement if at least 61 lawmakers formally request one.
Eisenkot's immediate task is therefore to turn the recommendations he has secured into a viable parliamentary majority. While the president's mandate gives him the first opportunity to form a government, disagreements over Arab party involvement, Haredi conscription and Netanyahu's political future continue to complicate coalition negotiations.
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