Eisenkot Named Prime Minister Candidate as Opposition Seals Deal

Gadi Eisenkot is the agreed-upon candidate to replace Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister, according to a coalition of five opposition parties.

The party leaders met on Tuesday in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, to finalize their strategy following the October 27 election. That vote left the Knesset without a clear majority. The governing bloc won 53 seats, the opposition secured 48, and Arab-led parties captured 19. A simple majority requires 61 seats in the 120-seat parliament.

In a joint statement, the leaders pledged to recommend Eisenkot, the head of the Yashar party, to President Isaac Herzog. They stated that negotiating teams would begin drafting policy guidelines immediately. The statement described the goal as replacing the current administration with a national emergency government. The leaders said they were coordinated and would act with great urgency.

The meeting included Eisenkot, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beytenu, Yair Golan of the Democrats, and Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid. Bennett, whose party came third in the election, told reporters that the group must act quickly. The four leaders endorsed principles set by Eisenkot. These include recognizing Israel as a Jewish state and designating Hamas as a terrorist group.

The central challenge for the new government is securing enough seats to reach the majority threshold. The opposition currently holds 48 seats and needs at least 13 more. Arab-led parties hold the balance of power, with the Joint List winning 11 seats and Ra’am taking eight. Youssef Jabareen, the leader of the largest Arab-led party, said the opposition must accept political reality and join forces to remove Netanyahu.

Divisions remain within the opposition bloc over how to handle the Arab-led parties. Yair Golan is the only leader openly supporting an alliance with them. He met with Arab party leaders before the main talks and promised to address high crime rates in Palestinian communities. Liberman has firmly opposed including Arab-led parties, though he also wants to avoid another election. The two sides emphasized their shared interest in using the parliamentary majority to bring down the current government.

President Herzog begins formal consultations with parties on Wednesday. He will continue the process on Thursday. Eisenkot could receive the most recommendations if he secures the backing of Arab lawmakers. Netanyahu, who is 76 and serving as the longest-serving prime minister, called for a broad national government under his leadership on Monday. He ruled out a coalition with Arab-majority lists, citing their stance on terrorism and the Jewish state.

Netanyahu remains the head of the Likud party, which holds 27 seats. He is currently on trial on corruption charges and is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave since the war began in October 2023. The outcome of Herzog's consultations will determine who is tasked with forming the next government.