Herzog Hands Eisenkot 28 Days to Unseat Netanyahu

President Isaac Herzog has chosen opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to try to form Israel's next government, handing Benjamin Netanyahu a setback without securing the votes to replace him. ^[1][3]

Herzog told Eisenkot on Saturday, November 7, that he would receive the first opportunity to build a coalition. The formal handover was scheduled for Sunday, starting a 28-day negotiating period, with a possible 14-day extension. ^[1][3]

Eisenkot's four-party bloc holds 48 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. He needs support from at least 61 lawmakers, leaving him 13 short and dependent on parties his allies have resisted working with. Netanyahu remains prime minister while negotiations continue. ^[1][2][3]

"Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything to ensure we are worthy," Eisenkot wrote on X after the announcement. ^[3]

The Daily Inference reported on October 29 that the completed election count left neither main bloc with a majority, and that several opposition partners rejected a numerical route to power through Arab-led parties. Herzog's decision now gives Eisenkot the first chance to turn those numbers into an agreement.

A recommendation is not a coalition

In consultations with Herzog, parties representing 67 lawmakers recommended Eisenkot, compared with 46 for Netanyahu, according to figures released by the president's spokesperson. That gave Eisenkot the advantage in the president's choice. It does not mean 67 lawmakers have agreed to support his government. ^[1][2]

The October 27 election left Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats and Arab-led parties with 19, alongside Eisenkot's 48. Neither leading bloc can govern alone. Eisenkot's bloc and the Arab-led parties together would hold 67 seats, six above the threshold. ^[1][3]

The obstacle is inside Eisenkot's own camp. Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the opposition party Yisrael Beiteinu, said he would oppose a government dependent on Arab-led parties. His objection also covers an arrangement in which those parties abstain rather than vote for the government. ^[2]

That closes off an apparent compromise: Arab lawmakers standing aside while Eisenkot's partners vote a government into office. Lieberman's position makes the means of securing parliamentary support a dispute in its own right. ^[2]

For Eisenkot, the first negotiating task is therefore to hold his existing alliance together while finding additional support. Adding prospective partners does little good if the bargain costs him members of the bloc he already leads. No agreement securing 61 votes has been announced. ^[1][2]

The alternative runs through conscription

Eisenkot has also explored cooperation with ultra-Orthodox parties. United Torah Judaism, which holds seven seats, did not recommend either candidate to Herzog. Its leaders have indicated that they want concessions on military conscription. ^[2]

Those seven seats would take Eisenkot's bloc to 55, still six below the required majority. United Torah Judaism could help open a route to government, but cannot complete it alone. ^[2]

The other ultra-Orthodox party, Shas, has endorsed Netanyahu. A deal bringing both parties into an Eisenkot-led arrangement is uncertain, and the opposition parties campaigned against joining with ultra-Orthodox parties. ^[2]

Conscription is the price Eisenkot would have to negotiate. United Torah Judaism's demands collide with a central opposition campaign pledge on military service, creating a second test of whether his alliance can trade some of its stated positions for power. ^[2]

Lieberman has said he is open to compromise with ultra-Orthodox parties on conscription. But Dan Illouz, a member of his party, said, "we cannot give up on a conscription law." ^[2]

That leaves Eisenkot negotiating on two levels at once: with parties that might supply the missing seats, and with allies who must accept the terms. A concession that wins support across the table could provoke resistance on his own side.

The two potential routes demand different reversals. Reliance on Arab-led parties would require overcoming Lieberman's explicit objection. Cooperation with ultra-Orthodox parties would require resolving the conscription dispute and drawing support away from Netanyahu's camp. ^[2]

Netanyahu keeps the office

Netanyahu has called for a national unity government. He also warned against "hastily swearing in a government with terrorist supporters," an apparent reference to Arab-led parties. ^[3]

A unity arrangement offers another theoretical way through the deadlock, but opposition leaders have said their aim is to replace Netanyahu. His appeal does not settle who would lead such a government or establish that the opposition would join it. ^[2][3]

Herzog's choice gives Eisenkot the initiative, while Netanyahu retains the office. If negotiations fail, Netanyahu could remain caretaker prime minister through another election. ^[3]