Israeli President appoints Gadi Eisenkot to form new government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has asked Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot to try to build the next Israeli government after the election left the Knesset without a clear majority.

Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces, has 28 days – with a possible 14‑day extension – to assemble a coalition before Herzog may permit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attempt the task. Failure by either candidate would trigger a new election.

Forming a majority is expected to be difficult for Eisenkot, who may need the backing of at least one of the two ultra‑Orthodox parties that have traditionally supported Netanyahu. He will also have to win over right‑wing elements of the opposition and possibly secure support from Arab parties outside the government on issues such as the recent surge in violent crime in Palestinian communities and settler attacks in the West Bank.

Hadash Knesset member Aida Touma‑Sliman said Eisenkot appears more inclined to compromise with ultra‑Orthodox parties on military conscription than to rely on Arab voters.

The new leader will also inherit the challenge of repairing Israel’s strained relations with the United States, where public opinion has fallen sharply following the Gaza conflict and tensions over Iran.

Source: Al Jazeera. Photo: Lajos Kristóf Kántor / Pexels.