Israeli President Isaac Herzog will on Sunday task a lawmaker with forming the new government, following the October 27 parliamentary elections, which did not produce a clear governing majority. After consultations with political parties, Herzog announced that 67 lawmakers have recommended Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, as candidate for prime minister, while 46 lawmakers have supported the incumbent prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
However, parliamentary support for Eisenkot does not yet constitute a full coalition agreement. Some Arab parties have expressed readiness to support a government from outside the coalition, while the terms of cooperation among political forces remain unclear. On the other hand, Netanyahu, although his Likud party came first in the elections with 27 seats, has failed to secure the support needed to form a governing majority.
Herzog has warned that the number of recommendations does not automatically guarantee the formation of a government. The candidate who receives the mandate will have 28 days to form the cabinet, with the possibility of an extension of another 14 days. If Eisenkot manages to secure an agreement between parties, Israel could enter a new political phase, ending the long period of Benjamin Netanyahu’s dominance.
