Israel's political crisis has deepened after President Isaac Herzog on Saturday nominated former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest rival, to attempt to form the country's next government following a deadlocked election. Neither leader has secured a clear parliamentary majority, setting the stage for weeks of negotiations and uncertainty over the country's political future.
November 2026 : Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is seeking to retain power after his religious-nationalist coalition lost its parliamentary majority in the October 27 election. Although his Likud party emerged as the largest single party in the 120-member Knesset, the wider coalition fell short of the numbers required to form a government.
Eisenkot, a former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), received the largest number of endorsements from lawmakers. However, his decision not to enter into a formal alliance with Arab parties has complicated his prospects, despite their combined parliamentary strength potentially providing the numbers needed for a majority.
Arab political leaders nevertheless nominated Eisenkot as their preferred candidate, expressing opposition to what they describe as the discriminatory and far-right policies of Netanyahu and his coalition partners.
"President Herzog has invited Gadi Eisenkot to the President's Residence, where he will be tasked with forming the government tomorrow," a spokesperson for the Israeli President said.
Under Israel's parliamentary system, the President plays a largely ceremonial role in the government formation process, formally assigning a candidate the responsibility of building a coalition after consultations with political parties.
Eisenkot Faces Difficult Coalition Negotiations
Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, with the possibility of a 14-day extension. His nomination is expected to trigger prolonged negotiations involving political parties across the ideological spectrum.
Several possible political arrangements could help him secure power. These include forming a minority government with external support from Arab parties, negotiating an alliance with ultra-Orthodox political groups, or exploring a national unity government with Netanyahu.
However, Eisenkot and his political allies have previously opposed cooperation with some of these groups, while he has publicly ruled out serving in a government led by Netanyahu. Political analysts consider all three options difficult to achieve.
If Eisenkot fails to form a government, another candidate may be invited to attempt the process. Should that effort also fail, parliament can nominate another candidate. The entire government formation process has an approximate deadline of 100 days. If no candidate succeeds, Israel could be required to hold another election.
Election Results Leave Parliament Divided
The election results underline the extent of Israel's political fragmentation.
Netanyahu's Likud secured 27 seats in the 120-member Knesset, making it the largest single party. However, his broader religious-nationalist coalition won only 53 seats, eight short of the 61 required for a parliamentary majority.
Eisenkot's Yashar party emerged as the second-largest party with 21 seats. His broader coalition, comprising four Jewish-led parties ranging from the centre-left to the right, secured 48 seats. Meanwhile, two parties representing Israel's Arab minority won a combined 19 seats, an unprecedented result.
The distribution of seats has left both major political camps dependent on negotiations with other parties to secure the numbers required to govern.
Eisenkot's Military Background and Political Position
At 66, Eisenkot is a former military commander who entered politics in 2022. The son of Moroccan immigrants, he would become Israel's first prime minister from the Mizrahi community, comprising Jews whose ancestry traces back to the Middle East and North Africa.
He briefly served in Netanyahu's wartime cabinet following Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel before returning to the opposition. Since then, he has become an outspoken critic of Netanyahu's leadership, particularly his handling of the military campaign in Gaza.
Eisenkot's public profile is also closely linked to the personal losses suffered by his family during the Gaza conflict. His son and two nephews were killed while fighting in the territory.
During the election campaign, he emphasised his military credentials and referred to the 'Dahiyeh doctrine', a strategy associated with the use of overwhelming force in response to attacks. He employed this approach as a military commander during Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Criticism of Settler Violence and Far-Right Allies
Eisenkot has also criticised violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, which has increased since 2023 and contributed to tensions between Israel and several Western countries.
He has opposed Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Both have faced sanctions from some Western governments over allegations linked to incitement of violence against Palestinians.
Eisenkot's nomination now places him at the centre of Israel's efforts to break the political deadlock. However, with no clear majority and significant ideological differences among potential coalition partners, the negotiations are likely to test his ability to build a stable government.
