President Herzog tasks opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming Israel's next government, marking a potential end to Netanyahu's political dominance after inconclusive elections.
By Adam Makins·
Israel’s political landscape is shifting dramatically. President Herzog has handed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form a government, dealing what could be a decisive blow to Benjamin Netanyahu’s grip on power. Neither candidate secured a clear majority in last month’s election, but parliamentary parties representing most members have recommended Eisenkot to attempt coalition building.
Eisenkot is a former military chief whose son was killed in combat in Gaza, positioning him as a center-right alternative to Netanyahu’s far-right positioning. He briefly served in Netanyahu’s cabinet following the October 7 Hamas attacks but the two had a falling out. Eisenkot founded his own political party, ran against Netanyahu, and now seeks to replace him as prime minister. Netanyahu remains the caretaker PM for now, having served longer than any other Israeli leader.
The ceremony formally initiating Eisenkot’s coalition-building effort takes place Sunday evening local time. From that moment, he has approximately six weeks to assemble a governing coalition. Failure means the president could tap someone else, possibly Netanyahu himself, to attempt the same task. If that fails too, Israel faces the prospect of new elections within months.
Building a coalition promises to be exceptionally challenging. Potential partners include ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties and Arab-led parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, who comprise about 20 percent of the population. Arab voters showed record turnout in these elections, potentially making them kingmakers in any government formation.
Here’s the problem: both Eisenkot and Netanyahu have ruled out working with Arab parties. Yet public pressure is mounting on Eisenkot to reconsider. Netanyahu responded with a video warning against such partnerships, deploying inflammatory language about what he characterized as Hamas supporters and those who oppose Judaism. Throughout this election cycle, Netanyahu has relied heavily on racist and Islamophobic rhetoric directed at Israel’s minority-Arab population.
Eisenkot called Netanyahu’s video hysterical. The political atmosphere remains extremely tense, with personal animosity between the two rivals adding another layer of complexity to an already fractious situation.
Whoever becomes prime minister will inherit a deteriorating relationship with the United States. Recent U.S. midterm election results landed poorly in Israel. Many Israelis expressed dismay that criticism of Israel became a talking point for winning candidates, particularly regarding Gaza policy. Israeli newspapers prominently featured coverage of Michigan’s newly elected Democratic senator, whose statements on the conflict drew particular attention.
Meanwhile, President Trump announced on Election Day that he’s cutting U.S. aid to Israel, signaling potential complications regardless of who leads the next Israeli government.
Mairav Zonszein, an Israeli-American analyst at the International Crisis Group based in Tel Aviv, underscores the stakes: “The U.S.-Israel relationship has been the cornerstone of Israeli national security and foreign relations for decades. And we’re seeing that completely unravel at a very accelerated pace because of Gaza, because of Iran.”
The next Israeli prime minister, whether Eisenkot or another figure, will face the urgent task of rebuilding diplomatic bridges with the United States, particularly with Democrats. This comes at a moment when American public opinion of Israel has significantly declined, creating substantial political headwinds for any Israeli leader attempting international diplomacy.
The coming weeks will reveal whether Eisenkot can navigate these treacherous coalition dynamics while simultaneously repairing crucial international relationships. His success or failure may determine whether Netanyahu’s era truly ends or whether Israeli politics enters another extended period of uncertainty and potential new elections.
Source: NPR
Can Israel’s next government, born from such fractious coalition-building, effectively address the strategic challenges awaiting it?
