Bennett Backs Eisenkot to Lead Israel’s Next Government
(MENAFN) Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett threw his weight behind Gadi Eisenkot on Sunday, announcing that his parliamentary bloc will urge President Isaac Herzog to give the Yashar leader the first chance at forming Israel’s next government. The move sharply boosts Eisenkot’s odds of receiving the first mandate.
A statement from Bennett’s Together party said he personally directed the decision. It said Bennett had promised throughout the campaign to respect the voters’ choice, and that endorsing Eisenkot was in keeping with that pledge. Bennett has already told Eisenkot of his decision, the statement added.
Separately, an Israeli television network reported that the Democrats party, headed by Yair Golan, also plans to recommend Eisenkot in the coming presidential consultations. Golan has made no official announcement.
The moves come as opposition parties race to align their recommendations after the election, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp keeps working to assemble a governing majority.
Voters went to the polls last Tuesday for the 26th Knesset. The Central Elections Committee published final results Friday: Netanyahu’s Likud took 27 seats, Eisenkot’s Yashar 21, Bennett’s Together 12 and Golan’s Democrats eight. The Joint List won 11 seats and the United Arab List, known as Ra’am, won eight.
Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats, against 48 for the opposition parties and 19 for the Arab parties. Neither major bloc reached the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat chamber. Turnout was 77.9%.
Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg is due to hand the official results to Herzog on Nov. 4. The president will open consultations that same day with representatives of the elected parties and blocs to hear whom they want tasked with forming a government.
The chosen candidate gets 28 days to build a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.
A statement from Bennett’s Together party said he personally directed the decision. It said Bennett had promised throughout the campaign to respect the voters’ choice, and that endorsing Eisenkot was in keeping with that pledge. Bennett has already told Eisenkot of his decision, the statement added.
Separately, an Israeli television network reported that the Democrats party, headed by Yair Golan, also plans to recommend Eisenkot in the coming presidential consultations. Golan has made no official announcement.
The moves come as opposition parties race to align their recommendations after the election, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp keeps working to assemble a governing majority.
Voters went to the polls last Tuesday for the 26th Knesset. The Central Elections Committee published final results Friday: Netanyahu’s Likud took 27 seats, Eisenkot’s Yashar 21, Bennett’s Together 12 and Golan’s Democrats eight. The Joint List won 11 seats and the United Arab List, known as Ra’am, won eight.
Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats, against 48 for the opposition parties and 19 for the Arab parties. Neither major bloc reached the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat chamber. Turnout was 77.9%.
Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg is due to hand the official results to Herzog on Nov. 4. The president will open consultations that same day with representatives of the elected parties and blocs to hear whom they want tasked with forming a government.
The chosen candidate gets 28 days to build a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment