Israel’s Opposition Leaders Back Eisenkot to Form Government and Replace Netanyahu

The update

Israel’s opposition leaders have agreed to back former military chief Gadi Eisenkot as their candidate for prime minister, after meeting in Herzliya on Tuesday for the first time since the October 27 election. In a joint statement, the five party heads said their parties would recommend Eisenkot, who leads Yashar, to President Isaac Herzog, and that negotiating teams would begin drafting coalition guidelines and agreements. They promised to replace Benjamin Netanyahu’s government with a national emergency government.

Why it matters

The election left neither side with a majority in the 120-seat Knesset: Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, the opposition 48 and Arab-led parties 19, while 61 are needed to form a government. Who leads Israel next will shape policy on the war in Gaza and relations with the United States and the region. Netanyahu, whose Likud party won 27 seats, on Monday called for a national government under his leadership, which no opposition leader has backed.

What to watch

Herzog begins consultations with the parties on Wednesday and Thursday. Eisenkot could receive the most recommendations if Arab lawmakers back him, but the opposition is divided: Yair Golan backs working with Arab-led parties, while Avigdor Liberman opposes it. Without their support, Eisenkot has no clear path to 61 seats, raising the prospect of talks or another election.

Sources

• aljazeera.com — confirms the Herzliya meeting, joint statement and seat totals
• france24.com — confirms the vow to remove Netanyahu and the split over Arab-led parties

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