Herzog gives Eisenkot first chance to form government in Israel

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday, November 8, formally handed Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form a new government. The ceremony was held at the President's residence in Jerusalem.

In the recent parliamentary election, the bloc led by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to win a clear majority. Netanyahu has been a force in Israeli politics for nearly two decades.

The election was held on October 27, but the picture on government formation remained unclear afterwards. Forming a government in the 120-member Knesset requires a majority of 61 members. The Netanyahu-led bloc won 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot got 48. The remaining 19 seats are held by Arab parties.

The President held consultations with the political parties on the question of forming the government. In these, 67 members of parliament backed Eisenkot's name, while 46 preferred Netanyahu. This is why Eisenkot got the first chance to form the government.

Under Israeli law, Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government. If needed, the President can extend this period by 14 days.

Eisenkot has said he intends to form a national unity government, one that can face emergency-like conditions. But bringing together parties of differing ideologies will not be easy for him. The coming few weeks will therefore be very important for Israeli politics.

Eisenkot's biggest challenge is to muster the required majority of 61 members in parliament. Parties representing the Arab community have recommended supporting him. It is still not certain, however, whether these parties will join the government directly.

Netanyahu, on the other hand, has called for a national unity government. But Eisenkot's position is against joining a government formed under Netanyahu's leadership.

The future of the new government will therefore rest on the support of the Arab parties, talks with the religious parties and possible political agreements. If Eisenkot fails to form a government, Netanyahu could get another chance. Otherwise, Israel could face fresh elections.