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Israeli president taps Netanyahu rival to form government as coalition battle looms
Confirmed
In Short: Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced Saturday that he has chosen opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form the country's next government, handing Netanyahu's chief rival the first opportunity to build a coalition following an inconclusive national election.
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Netanyahu challenger Eisenkot tasked with forming new Israeli government. ABC 7 Chicago
Following two days of consultations with Israel’s newly elected parliament, Herzog announced Thursday that factions representing 67 of the Knesset’s 120 members had recommended Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, to form the next government.
Netanyahu received the backing of 46 lawmakers, while seven members of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party declined to endorse either candidate.
The formal presentation of the mandate is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 7, marking a significant step toward ending Netanyahu’s tenure, but it would also launch a difficult round of coalition negotiations.
In a statement posted on X, Lieberman argued that preventing another election and ending Netanyahu’s time in office would require difficult political compromises.
Eisenkot and Netanyahu have both made bids to secure the recommendations needed to form a government, with Eisenkot now having the first opportunity.
Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and demand an independent inquiry into the security failures that led to the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel, amid discussions between Washington and Tel Aviv about potentially resuming major combat operations against Iran.
Neither Eisenkot, 66, nor Netanyahu has publicly said they would partner with the predominantly Arab lists, which represent some 21 percent of Israel's population and who could become kingmakers if the results are as close as expected.
Background
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has chosen Gadi Eisenkot to form a new government, a move that could end Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure as prime minister.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has given opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a new government.
What's confirmed
- Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and demand an independent inquiry into the security failures that led to the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
What's still developing
- Humanitarian catastrophe largely ignored as rivals Gadi Eisenkot and Benjamin Netanyahu vow to end Hamas rule Humanitarian catastrophe largely ignored as rivals Gadi Eisenkot and Benjamin Netanyahu vow to end Hamas rule As Israel prepares to go to the polls, Palestinians in Gaza are bracing for an outcome that could shape their future, knowing their fate rests with the country that has reduced much of the territory to rubble and killed nearly 75,000 people.
- With a week to go before a closely fought election, it seems Netanyahu is treading lightly on the settler attacks in order to avoid alienating political allies whose support he will need after the ballots are counted.
- Yet instead of coming out unequivocally against the attacks, and using Israel’s world-class security services to identify and arrest the estimated few hundred core perpetrators, Netanyahu has chosen a different path.
- Netanyahu’s chief rival, Gadi Eisenkot, attended the rally that was an echo of the weekly ones once held to call for the release of hostages taken into Gaza.
- Israelis held a final large rally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of what has been described as the most consequential election in the country’s history.
- The flight was carrying at least 150 people, with Netanyahu saying "almost all" passengers were Israeli.
- No clear winner in Israeli election but Netanyahu looks far from defeated.
- When Israelis awoke on Wednesday, it seemed that their future had taken another twist overnight: Results that had looked like a narrow loss for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they went to bed now pointed to a narrow lead by dawn.
- But this turn of events is more than a legal dispute: it also reveals Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s broader campaign strategy for the elections, given that he is unlikely to win an outright majority.
- The most recent polls have shown Netanyahu’s coalition—made up of his own Likud party and the ultra-Orthodox and far-right parties—taking around 52 seats, with no partners willing to help close the gap.
- Channel 13 predicted 50 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc, 53 for the opposition and 17 for Arab parties.
Sources
- Fox Newslink
- The Guardianlink
- Timesofisraellink
- Wtoplink
- BBClink
- Dailypioneerlink
- Al Jazeeralink
- Trtworldlink
- NBC Newslink
- Naharnetlink
- Arabcenterdclink
- Arabnewslink
- Middleeasteyelink
- WarpBeat — background on Israel's President Picks Eisenkot Over Netanyahu to Form New Government link
- WarpBeat — background on Herzog Names Eisenkot to Form New Israeli Government link
- ABC 7 Chicago — video link
- Reuters — video link
- ABC News (Australia) — video link