Israel Election 2026: Gadi Eisenkot Chosen to Form Government as Netanyahu Faces Major Political Setback

Israel Election 2026: Gadi Eisenkot Chosen to Form Government as Netanyahu Faces Major Political Setback

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has selected former military chief Gadi Eisenkot to attempt to form the country's next government after an inconclusive parliamentary election. The decision presents a serious challenge to Benjamin Netanyahu's long leadership, but a transfer of power is far from guaranteed.

JERUSALEM | November 8, 2026

Benjamin Netanyahu's political future has entered a critical new phase after Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot would receive the first opportunity to form a government following the country's October 27 parliamentary election.

The decision, announced on Saturday, November 7, follows consultations with Israel's newly elected political parties.

Although Netanyahu's Likud emerged as the largest individual party in parliament, Eisenkot received recommendations from more lawmakers during the presidential consultation process.

According to the Israeli President's Office, parties representing 67 members of the 120-seat Knesset recommended Eisenkot, while 46 backed Netanyahu. Seven lawmakers declined to recommend either candidate.

Herzog has invited Eisenkot to the President's Residence in Jerusalem for a formal mandate ceremony scheduled for Sunday, November 8, at 5 PM local time.

Once formally assigned the task, Eisenkot will have 28 days to negotiate a governing coalition, with a possible extension of 14 days.

The development is an important setback for Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister.

But it does not mean he has been removed from office.

Netanyahu remains prime minister while efforts to establish a new government continue.

Why Did Israel's President Choose Gadi Eisenkot Instead of Netanyahu?

The decision reflects an unusual political situation in which the largest individual party does not necessarily have the strongest prospects of assembling a government.

Israel uses a parliamentary system in which political parties compete for seats in the Knesset.

There are 120 seats, and a government normally seeks the support of at least 61 lawmakers to command a majority.

Following the October 27 election, neither Netanyahu's political bloc nor Eisenkot's alliance secured that threshold.

Herzog therefore consulted the newly elected parties to determine which politician should be given the first chance to form a government.

During those consultations, Eisenkot received recommendations from parties representing 67 lawmakers.

Netanyahu received recommendations from 46.

One faction representing seven lawmakers declined to recommend a candidate.

The president's November 5 statement acknowledged that the number of recommendations was not the only consideration.

Herzog also noted the difficulty of forming a stable coalition because parties continued to oppose cooperating with certain potential partners.

The decision announced on November 7 gives Eisenkot the first opportunity to negotiate a government, but not an automatic parliamentary majority.

Israel Election 2026 Results: What Do the Numbers Show?

The October 27 election produced a divided parliament.

Netanyahu's Likud won 27 seats, making it the largest single party.

Eisenkot's Yashar party secured 21 seats and emerged as the second-largest party.

However, the wider political blocs remained short of a majority.

Israel Election Results: Key Parliamentary Figures

Note: The individual party figures are included within their respective bloc totals and must not be added again.

The Arab-led parties secured 19 seats, giving them an important role in the post-election negotiations.

These parties subsequently supported Eisenkot's nomination during presidential consultations.

Their recommendations helped him secure the backing of 67 lawmakers.

However, recommending Eisenkot to form a government is not the same as agreeing to participate in a coalition led by him.

That distinction explains why the political situation remains unresolved despite his numerical advantage in the recommendation process.

Who Is Gadi Eisenkot, the Former Army Chief Challenging Netanyahu?

Gadi Eisenkot is a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and leader of the centrist Yashar party.

He served as Israel's military chief from 2015 to 2019 before entering parliamentary politics in 2022.

Unlike career politicians who have spent decades building party organizations, Eisenkot's public reputation developed primarily through his military service.

His leadership credentials and experience in national security have been central to his political appeal.

Following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, Eisenkot joined Netanyahu's wartime cabinet as an observer.

He subsequently returned to the opposition and became increasingly critical of Netanyahu's leadership and handling of the war in Gaza.

The conflict has also affected Eisenkot's family personally.

His son and two nephews were killed while serving in Gaza.

Eisenkot's political positions place considerable emphasis on national security, government accountability and criticism of extremist violence.

He has publicly criticized Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and opposed prominent far-right figures associated with Netanyahu's coalition.

However, his military background should not be confused with a fundamentally anti-war political platform.

Eisenkot has supported forceful military responses to security threats, and important differences remain between his political positions and those of Palestinian political representatives.

Can Gadi Eisenkot Actually Become Israel's Next Prime Minister?

This is now the central question in Israeli politics.

Although Eisenkot received more presidential recommendations than Netanyahu, assembling a government will be difficult.

His four-party alliance controls 48 seats, leaving it 13 short of a conventional parliamentary majority.

There are several possible routes to power.

Option One: Support From Arab-Led Parties

The Arab-led parties collectively hold 19 seats.

Combined with Eisenkot's 48-seat alliance, they could theoretically provide support from 67 lawmakers.

However, Eisenkot has previously rejected the possibility of bringing the Arab-led parties into his government.

Some members of his political alliance have also expressed strong opposition to relying on their support.

A minority government that receives outside parliamentary backing from Arab-led parties could be another possibility.

Such an arrangement would not necessarily require those parties to hold ministerial positions.

Nevertheless, it would demand political cooperation among parties with substantial disagreements over security, Palestinian rights and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Option Two: Cooperation With Ultra-Orthodox Parties

Another possibility involves negotiations with ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties.

United Torah Judaism and Shas have historically been associated with Netanyahu's governing alliances.

However, disagreements over military conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men have complicated those relationships.

United Torah Judaism did not recommend Netanyahu during the presidential consultations.

A coalition involving Eisenkot's alliance and both major ultra-Orthodox parties could theoretically reach the 61-seat threshold.

The difficulty lies in reconciling sharply different positions on military service, religious institutions and state policy.

Option Three: A National Unity Government

A broader unity government involving political rivals could potentially overcome the parliamentary deadlock.

Netanyahu has called for such an arrangement.

However, Eisenkot has previously said he would not serve in a government alongside Netanyahu.

That makes a unity agreement politically difficult, although negotiations can sometimes change positions.

None of these possibilities was confirmed as an agreement at the time of publication.

Netanyahu's Response: A Call for National Unity

Netanyahu has responded to the political uncertainty by calling for a national unity government.

In a video statement before Herzog's decision, he warned against establishing a government dependent on support from Arab-led parties.

His remarks reflected the tensions surrounding the role of Arab political representatives in Israel's parliamentary system.

Leaders of Arab-led parties, meanwhile, have expressed opposition to Netanyahu and his far-right political allies.

For them, backing Eisenkot's nomination represents an opportunity to challenge the existing government.

However, opposition to Netanyahu does not necessarily indicate agreement with Eisenkot's political programme.

The disagreement highlights a major challenge facing Israel's opposition: parties may share an objective of replacing Netanyahu while remaining divided over how the next government should operate.

Netanyahu's Likud remains the largest individual party, and his political allies retain substantial parliamentary representation.

His prospects of remaining prime minister therefore depend partly on whether Eisenkot can turn the opposition's numerical strength into a workable governing arrangement.

What Happens During the Next 28 Days?

Under Israel's Basic Law: The Government, the politician tasked with forming a government normally has 28 days to complete negotiations.

The president can extend that period by up to 14 additional days.

During this process, the designated candidate negotiates with potential coalition partners over policy commitments, ministerial responsibilities and parliamentary support.

If Eisenkot succeeds, the proposed government must seek the confidence of the Knesset.

Only after receiving parliamentary confidence can the new government take office.

If he fails, the president may give another eligible lawmaker an opportunity to form a government.

Further parliamentary procedures can follow if that attempt also fails.

Ultimately, prolonged deadlock could result in another election.

The outgoing government remains responsible for governing until a replacement is established.

This means Netanyahu could continue serving as prime minister during the negotiations, even though Eisenkot has been selected to make the first attempt.

Why the Election Matters Beyond Israel

The political outcome will also be closely watched internationally.

Israel remains a major military and diplomatic actor in the Middle East.

Its government makes decisions affecting relations with the United States, neighbouring Arab countries and the Palestinians.

The next administration will inherit difficult questions concerning Gaza, Israeli security, the occupied West Bank and regional diplomacy.

Netanyahu's government has faced substantial international criticism over Israel's military operations in Gaza and policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Eisenkot has challenged Netanyahu's leadership and criticized settler violence, but his military background and security-focused positions mean a change of government would not automatically produce a fundamental shift in every aspect of Israeli policy.

For Palestinians, the composition of any future coalition would be particularly important.

The positions of individual parties on Palestinian statehood, military operations, settlement expansion and negotiations could shape the direction of government policy.

For India and other international partners, the outcome would also determine who leads Israel's government during a sensitive period for regional security and diplomatic relations.

However, specific policy changes cannot be predicted before a coalition agreement and government programme are announced.

What Does This Mean for Netanyahu's Political Future?

For Netanyahu, the decision represents a meaningful loss of political initiative.

His party remains the largest in the Knesset, but his traditional allies have not delivered a majority.

He also failed to secure the highest number of presidential recommendations.

For Eisenkot, the challenge is different.

He has gained the first opportunity to form a government, but the political parties supporting his nomination are not united behind a single governing programme.

The next phase will test whether parliamentary arithmetic can overcome ideological divisions.

A successful coalition would open the possibility of a new prime minister.

A failed attempt could return the initiative to Netanyahu or deepen Israel's political deadlock.

Israel's Next Government Remains Uncertain

President Isaac Herzog's decision has created an opportunity for Gadi Eisenkot to challenge Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure as prime minister.

But the central political question remains unanswered.

Can Eisenkot assemble a coalition capable of securing parliamentary confidence?

The answer will depend on negotiations among parties with sharply different priorities.

As of November 8, 2026, Netanyahu remains prime minister, Eisenkot has been selected to make the first attempt at forming a government, and no new governing coalition has been confirmed.

The election has weakened Netanyahu's position, but it has not yet determined who will lead Israel next.