{"id":14603,"date":"2026-11-08T12:09:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T12:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=14603"},"modified":"2026-11-08T12:09:00","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T12:09:00","slug":"will-eisenkot-be-able-to-form-israels-next-govt-amid-divided-opposition-explainer-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=14603","title":{"rendered":"Will Eisenkot be able to form Israel\u2019s next gov\u2019t amid divided opposition? | Explainer News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has been given the opportunity to form a new government<\/a> after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s ruling coalition lost its parliamentary majority in the October elections, raising the possibility of an end to his long tenure in power.<\/p>\n

President Isaac Herzog selected the former military chief on Saturday, following consultations with political parties. Eisenkot has 28 days to cobble together a coalition to form a government. If he fails to form a new administration within that period, he can seek a 14-day extension.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNow is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything to ensure we are worthy,\u201d Eisenkot, the leader of the Yashar party, posted on X.<\/p>\n

However, the 66-year-old faces a difficult challenge as many of the opposition parties hold sharply conflicting positions on national security, religion and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.<\/p>\n

Neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu has a 61-seat majority in Israel\u2019s 120-member parliament, the Knesset.<\/p>\n

As a result, Arab-led parties hold a potentially decisive role in determining who governs Israel, even as Eisenkot and his prospective partners refuse to rely on their support.<\/p>\n

So what do we now know about Eisenkot\u2019s possible paths to power, and can he succeed in unseating Netanyahu?<\/p>\n

Can Eisenkot unite Israel\u2019s divided opposition?<\/h2>\n

Eisenkot\u2019s potential coalition spans his Yashar party, the centre-left Democrats led by Yair Golan, Naftali Bennett\u2019s centre-right Together party and Avigdor Lieberman\u2019s right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home).<\/p>\n

Overall, they control 48 seats, well short of a majority.<\/p>\n

Arab-led parties Ra\u2019am (United List) and the Joint List (comprising three parties \u2013 Hadash, Ta\u2019al and Balad) \u2013 jointly holding 19 seats \u2013 have endorsed Eisenkot\u2019s attempt to form a government. Their backing would give the broader anti-Netanyahu camp a combined 67 seats.<\/p>\n

Hadash is an Arab-Jewish party, Ta\u2019al advocates for the rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel, and Balad demands equal rights for all its citizens.<\/p>\n

However, Eisenkot has ruled out bringing Arab parties into his government, while Lieberman has repeatedly rejected forming a minority administration dependent on their support. Golan\u2019s Democrats have been more willing to partner with Ra\u2019am and the Joint List.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must no longer accept Netanyahu\u2019s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes,\u201d Golan said after the election.<\/p>\n

How many seats does Netanyahu\u2019s coalition have now?<\/h2>\n

Netanyahu\u2019s religious-nationalist coalition has fallen from the 64 seats it secured in 2022 to 53, eight seats short of a majority.<\/p>\n

His Likud is the largest individual party with 27 seats, while Eisenkot\u2019s Yashar won 21.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu\u2019s efforts to remain in power suffered a further setback when United Torah Judaism, a longtime ultra-Orthodox ally, declined to endorse him or any other candidate during consultations with Herzog.<\/p>\n

While the decision hurts Netanyahu\u2019s prospects of regaining power, it did not rule out the party supporting him in future coalition negotiations if their demands were met, particularly compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, which they reject.<\/p>\n

What is a minority government?<\/h2>\n

If Eisenkot is unable to put together a coalition, he could potentially lead a minority government backed by Arab parties from outside.<\/p>\n

A minority government is formed when the parties holding cabinet positions do not collectively control a majority of seats in parliament. Instead, they depend on support from lawmakers outside the governing coalition to remain in power and pass legislation.<\/p>\n

Eisenkot could establish such an administration with his four-party bloc relying on external parliamentary support from Ra\u2019am and the Joint List<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Under this arrangement, the Arab-led parties would not necessarily receive cabinet positions or formally join the coalition.<\/p>\n

They could instead negotiate policy concessions in exchange for their parliamentary support.<\/p>\n

In 2021, Ra\u2019am joined a government led by Bennett, becoming the first independent Arab party to participate in an Israeli governing coalition.<\/p>\n

That administration collapsed after 18 months, mainly due to disagreements over the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and Palestinian statehood. Most Israeli parties do not support the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state as part of the so-called two-state solution.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu, who has been in power for most of the past 20 years, has openly rejected Palestinian statehood and has pushed settlement expansions that are the biggest hurdles in the realisation of Palestinian statehood. Settlements are considered illegal under international law.<\/p>\n

What are the other possible paths to forming a government?<\/h2>\n

Beyond a minority government, Eisenkot could attempt to secure a parliamentary majority by bringing Israel\u2019s two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, into his coalition.<\/p>\n

Together, they hold 13 seats, which would give Eisenkot\u2019s bloc exactly the 61 seats required for a majority.<\/p>\n

However, such an alliance would require compromises over military conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox religious students, an issue that has long divided Israeli politics.<\/p>\n

Eisenkot and his allies, particularly Lieberman, have criticised the exemptions. But Lieberman has recently indicated that he is open to compromise.<\/p>\n