Herzog Selects Eisenkot For Israeli Coalition Negotiations Arabian Post

(MENAFN- The Arabian Post) clearfix"> Israeli President Isaac Herzog has chosen opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to attempt to form a government, giving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's principal rival the first opportunity to resolve the parliamentary deadlock following October's election.

Herzog informed Eisenkot of his decision on Saturday and invited him to receive the formal mandate at the presidential residence in Jerusalem at 5pm on Sunday. The former military chief will have 28 days to assemble a coalition, with a possible extension of 14 days.

The decision followed consultations in which parties representing 67 members of the 120-seat Knesset recommended Eisenkot, compared with 46 supporting Netanyahu. United Torah Judaism, which holds seven seats, declined to nominate either candidate.

Yet those recommendations do not constitute a governing majority. Eisenkot's four-party electoral alliance secured 48 seats in the October 27 election, while Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc won 53. Neither reached the 61 seats required for an outright majority.

The remaining 19 seats went to two Arab-led parties, whose endorsements helped Eisenkot secure the presidential nomination. Their potential role in a governing arrangement has become a central obstacle to coalition negotiations, particularly because some of Eisenkot's prospective partners oppose relying on their support.

Eisenkot has resisted bringing Arab-led parties into a governing coalition, although outside parliamentary backing could allow him to establish a minority administration. Such an arrangement would still require sufficient votes to win the Knesset's confidence and withstand subsequent challenges.

Another possibility involves negotiations with ultra-Orthodox parties traditionally aligned with Netanyahu. Their participation could provide Eisenkot with a majority, but disagreements over military conscription and other policies complicate any agreement.

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Herzog had acknowledged those difficulties before announcing his decision. After completing consultations on Thursday, he said the number of endorsements did not necessarily establish which candidate could assemble a workable government, citing vetoes between and within rival political blocs.

The president subsequently held further discussions with political leaders, including both candidates, before informing them of his choice. His constitutional responsibility is to select the lawmaker he considers capable of forming a government, rather than automatically appointing the candidate with the largest party.

Eisenkot, who leads the Yashar party, responded by calling for a national emergency government. He said he would work to justify the confidence placed in him, although the shape of any possible coalition remains uncertain.

Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister while coalition negotiations proceed. His Likud party and its allies retain substantial parliamentary strength despite failing to secure enough seats to continue governing without additional support.

A unity arrangement involving Likud and Eisenkot's allies could theoretically overcome the numerical impasse. However, Eisenkot has opposed serving alongside Netanyahu, and the parties differ over the handling of the Gaza conflict, accountability for security failures and the demands of religious coalition partners.

The dispute over military service is especially sensitive. Ultra-Orthodox parties have sought protections for religious students from conscription, while several opposition politicians have demanded broader military obligations as a condition of joining a government.

Eisenkot's coalition calculations are also constrained by disagreements among parties that supported his nomination. A recommendation to the president does not oblige a party to enter government or support every policy of the eventual administration.

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Should Eisenkot fail to secure parliamentary backing within the allotted period, Herzog could give another lawmaker an opportunity to negotiate. Netanyahu would be a possible candidate, although he would face the same fragmented parliamentary arithmetic that prevented either bloc from winning outright.

Further procedures could permit lawmakers to propose another candidate, while continued failure to establish a government could ultimately trigger another election. Those possibilities remain contingent on the outcome of the initial negotiating period.

Herzog's announcement also leaves the timetable for negotiations dependent on the formal presentation of the mandate. Until a new cabinet wins parliamentary confidence, the existing administration continues exercising its functions under the applicable constitutional arrangements in Israel.

The election elevated Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of Israel's armed forces who entered parliamentary politics in 2022, into the position of Netanyahu's foremost challenger. His Yashar party won 21 seats, making it a significant force in the opposition alliance.

The two Arab-led parties secured 19 seats between them, including eight for Ra'am and 11 for the Joint List. Their parliamentary representation gives them considerable influence over whether an alternative administration can command sufficient support without formally including them in cabinet.

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