Entities close to US President Donald Trump have called on Gadi Eisenkot, the Knesset member tasked with forming the Israeli government, to accelerate the formation of the new government and replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Channel 12 of Israel reported on Saturday that sources said the message was conveyed to those close to Eisenkot, before he officially received the mandate from Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Herzog had previously announced the appointment of Eisenkot to form the government, inviting him to the presidential residence to officially task him with forming the government tomorrow, Sunday, at 5:00 PM.
The spokesperson for the Israeli President clarified that parliamentary blocs comprising 67 Knesset members recommended appointing Eisenkot, while blocs comprising 46 members recommended appointing Netanyahu. Under the Basic Law, Eisenkot has a 28-day deadline to form the government, with the possibility of the President granting an extension of up to 14 additional days.
Election Results and Recommendations
This decision came after the Israeli parliamentary elections held on October 27, which did not secure the necessary majority to form the government, defined as 61 seats out of 120. The Likud party led by Netanyahu won 27 seats, while the Yesh Atid party led by Eisenkot won 21 seats.
According to the final results, the camp supporting Netanyahu holds 53 seats, compared to 48 for the Jewish opposition parties. The two Arab lists won 19 seats, bringing the total number of seats opposing Netanyahu to 67, which is the bloc that recommended appointing Eisenkot.
Coalition Formation Challenges
Despite these numbers, Eisenkot faces significant challenges, as major parties in his camp refuse to form a government with Arab parties. Meanwhile, Netanyahu has not received a recommendation from a bloc comprising seven deputies from the Haredi party Yehudut HaTorah, which abstained from recommending any candidate amid disputes with its allies.
Political and Legal Context
Tasking Eisenkot is a first step and does not guarantee success; if he fails, Israel may enter a new phase of political consultations. Netanyahu, who has served as head of government since 1996, has faced trial in Israel since 2020 on charges of bribery and fraud. Additionally, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him in November 2024 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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