Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot has taken another step forward in the direction of removing Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power, though the political situation remains extremely complex and securing a majority in parliament poses a major challenge. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has given opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a coalition government following the elections held on October 27. Former military chief Eisenkot, who ran in the elections as the main rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is now moving closer to unseating Netanyahu. Eisenkot has 28 days to form the government, and if needed, he can receive an additional 14 days.
National Situation and Political Background
The Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and the ongoing conflicts spanning more than three years in Gaza and other places have severely affected the country. In conversations with the president this week, representatives of most of Israel's major political parties suggested that the responsibility of forming a new government should be entrusted to Eisenkot. However, securing a majority in parliament continues to remain a massive challenge. In the elections held last month, Netanyahu and his allies lost their majority in parliament, but the bloc led by Eisenkot also failed to secure a majority, while consequently, Arab parties, which achieved a historic victory in this election, have emerged as potential kingmakers, although the political situation remains deeply complicated.
In Israel's history, an Arab party has been part of a coalition government only once. Given the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has now lasted for over three years, forming such a coalition could prove highly controversial for Eisenkot. The Israeli parliament, known as the Knesset, has 120 seats, meaning 61 seats are required to form a government. Eisenkot's anti-Netanyahu bloc holds 48 seats, with his own Yashar party holding 21 seats, Together holding 12 seats, The Democrats holding 8 seats, and Yisrael Beytenu holding 7 seats. When 19 seats from two Arab parties, the Joint List and Ra'am, are added, the total reaches 67 seats. However, apart from a shared dislike of Netanyahu, these parties have little else in common, which could pose serious difficulties over the next four weeks.
Netanyahu Campaign and Opposition
According to AP News reports, Netanyahu has launched a campaign to prevent any alliance between Eisenkot and the Arab parties. He has even claimed, without providing evidence, that the Arab parties stole the election. Shortly before Herzog's announcement, Netanyahu issued a video statement calling for the formation of a national unity government. He warned against the hasty swearing-in of a government that includes supporters of terrorists, a statement he frequently uses against Arab parties. Netanyahu and his allies have repeatedly labeled Arab parties as a threat to national security, while in contrast, Eisenkot has expressed a willingness to form a coalition with them under certain conditions, specifically requiring them to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization and support its complete eradication.
Eisenkot and Netanyahu, whose party Likud is the largest party in parliament, could potentially try to form a broad unity government together with major Jewish parties, while however, deep disagreements persist between them on many issues that will be difficult to resolve. One such issue is Netanyahu's reliance on religious parties, which demand that ultra-Orthodox men be exempted from mandatory military service. Another major point of contention is Netanyahu's opposition to a formal investigation into the failures associated with the October 7 attacks. Eisenkot may also consider forming a minority government backed by external support from Arab parties, though these parties wouldn't be formal members of the coalition. However, other members of his bloc have stated they wouldn't accept such an arrangement.
Party Reactions and Political Future
Eisenkot's party Yashar issued a statement on the social media platform X criticizing the prime minister's video. They urged members of Netanyahu's Likud party to break their alliance with radical parties, likely referring to the far-right parties that form part of Netanyahu's religious-nationalist support base. The statement noted that Eisenkot will engage only with those parties and lawmakers who support his principles. The coming 28 days will be crucial for Israel's political future and Netanyahu's political career, as the nation faces internal political deadlock alongside massive regional conflict challenges.