Eisenkot tasked with forming government as Netanyahu faces setback

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suffered a setback in his bid to retain power after President Isaac Herzog tasked former military chief and Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government. The decision follows the October 27 election, in which no alliance secured a clear majority.

During consultations with the President, 67 members of Israel's 120-member parliament, the Knesset, recommended Eisenkot to form the government, while 46 backed Netanyahu. Seven members declined to recommend either candidate. The development has raised the prospect of Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, losing power.

Herzog is scheduled to formally hand over the mandate to Eisenkot at a ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem at 5 pm today. Eisenkot will have 28 days to form a government, with a possible extension of 14 days.

Of the 67 lawmakers who recommended Eisenkot, 48 belong to his four-party alliance, while the remaining 19 represent Arab-led parties, including Ra'am and the Joint List. Netanyahu received the backing of right-wing and religious parties, while the seven members of United Torah Judaism did not recommend either candidate.

However, the recommendations do not automatically translate into a parliamentary majority for Eisenkot. His four-party alliance has 48 seats, while a majority in the Knesset requires 61. Although the backing of Arab-led parties helped him secure 67 recommendations, Eisenkot has ruled out forming a government with them. Securing sufficient support from other lawmakers and assembling a stable coalition will therefore be his biggest challenge.