Israeli President Tasks Opposition Leader Gadi Eisenkot With Forming Government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced on Saturday that he is giving opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot the chance to form a new government. Eisenkot, a former chief of the Israel Defense Forces, was one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main rivals in the parliamentary election held on 27 October. The decision determines who will now try to assemble the parliamentary support needed to govern.

Neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu won a decisive majority in the vote that would have allowed them to form a government on their own. During consultations with the president this week, most representatives of the country's main political parties backed entrusting the task to Eisenkot.

Netanyahu's appeal

Herzog's announcement came shortly after Netanyahu publicly called for a "national unity government". In a video statement, he also warned against the "hasty appointment of a government with supporters of terrorists". According to the source, he apparently meant parties led by Israeli Arabs.

Dispute over Arab parties

Netanyahu and his political allies have repeatedly claimed that the participation of Arab-led parties in government could threaten national security. Eisenkot, for his part, has indicated he could cooperate with these parties if certain conditions are met. One of them is a clear acknowledgement that Hamas is a terrorist organisation that must be destroyed.

What happens next

The president's decision does not mean Eisenkot will succeed in forming a government. He must reach agreements among the parties whose support is needed to secure a majority in parliament.