Israel’s Herzog Tasks Gadi Eisenkot With Forming New Government

DID Press: Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of the Israeli military and a leading rival of Benjamin Netanyahu, with forming a new government.

The decision follows the October 27 election and a political deadlock in which Netanyahu’s religious and nationalist coalition lost its parliamentary majority but remained the largest bloc in the Knesset.

Despite receiving the greatest political backing, Eisenkot has so far ruled out forming an alliance with Arab parties, whose support could give him a parliamentary majority.

Arab party leaders, angered by what they describe as racist policies attributed to Netanyahu and his far-right allies, have nevertheless endorsed Eisenkot’s candidacy.

Following his appointment, Eisenkot said in a post on the social media platform X: “The time has come to form a national emergency government, and I will do everything in my power to prove worthy of this responsibility.”