Netanyahu opponent Gadi Eisenkot picked to form Israeli government
Former Israeli army chief of staff and Yashar Party leader, Gadi Eisenkot, greets supporters during an after vote event following the exit polls of Israel's general elections on October 28, 2026 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Gadi Eisenkot, the man who ran as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main opponent in last month’s election, will get the first opportunity to form a new government, the nation’s president, Isaac Herzog, announced.
Big picture view:
"This is the time to establish a national emergency government. I will do anything possible to prove us worthy," Eisenkot posted on his X account just after the presidential announcement.
What they're saying:
No party won a majority in Israel’s parliament during the Oct. 27 vote. Saturday’s announcement by President Isaac Herzog starts the clock for Eisenkot, who has six weeks to form a coalition to replace Netanyahu.
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The backstory:
Netanyahu’s Likud party and its allies lost their majority in the election as the country reels from the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas and the three years of wars that have followed. Eisenkot and his aligned parties did not win a majority, but the former military chief was given the chance to form a government first after winning the support of most of Israel’s main parties.
Dig deeper:
Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, has pitched a unity government between his party and Eisenkot’s supporters. In a video he released prior to Herzog’s announcement, the prime minister tried to prevent his rival from making a deal that would bring one of the Arab-led parties, which had strong showings in the elections, into the government.
What's next:
Putting together a new coalition will be a tough task for Eisenkot, as it will require tough compromises that could risk alienating voters. Eisenkot has signaled a willingness to work with the Arab-led parties under certain conditions, such as declaring Hamas a terrorist group. He could also attempt to form a minority government that has the support of Arab parties without including them in the coalition.
Eisenkot’s party, Yashar, released a statement that stated all parties that are part of the coalition would have to support its principles.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando, Florida.