Former army chief Eisenkot tasked with forming Israel's next government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has asked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief, to form a new government after the Oct. 27 election, a step that could end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long hold on power.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Saturday chose Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief who leads the opposition bloc, to try to form the country's next government. Herzog said he made the decision after a week of consultations with every party in the Knesset.

Parties representing 67 of the Knesset's 120 lawmakers recommended Eisenkot, compared with 46 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc. The mandate is to be formally handed over Sunday afternoon at a ceremony at the president's residence in Jerusalem.

The Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem (file photo)

Neither camp won an outright majority in the Oct. 27 vote. Eisenkot, a political newcomer, widened his options by softening his stance on military service for ultra-Orthodox men, which opened a path to their parties. Arab parties, which made notable gains in the election, also backed him. During the campaign, Eisenkot had warned Netanyahu against launching a new war on Iran in coordination with President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu said in a recorded address that a government relying on Arab lawmakers would "dismantle the state of Israel from within." Eisenkot answered that it is time for a "national emergency government" and invited other parties to join him now or later. He has 28 days to build a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.

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