Israel: Eisenkot calls for the formation of a “national emergency government” after his appointment
The opposition leader, Gadi Eisenkot, called this Saturday to form “a national emergency government”, after being designated by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, as the candidate with the mandate to try to form a government after the elections on October 27.
“I will do everything possible to make us worthy,” added the opponent in a message on his X account, in which he attached a photo of himself shaking hands with Herzog.
New political cycle in Israel
The decision marks a turning point in the complex Israeli political scenario, characterized in recent years by strong parliamentary fragmentation, difficulties in consolidating stable majorities and growing polarization between the country’s main political blocs.
According to the Israeli Presidency, Herzog made the determination once the round of consultations with all parliamentary factions had concluded and after holding additional conversations with different actors in the political system. In this context, the head of state met with both the current prime minister and leader of the Likud, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the president of Yesh Atid, Gadi Eizenkot, to whom he personally communicated his intention.
The new majority
At the close of the consultations, the groups that bring together 67 of the 120 members of the Knesset recommended Eizenkot to lead the negotiations aimed at forming a government coalition. For their part, the parties with 46 seats supported Netanyahu’s candidacy, while a bench with seven deputies chose not to support any candidate.
In accordance with Israeli institutional procedure, it is up to the president to appoint the legislator who, in his opinion, has the greatest chance of gathering a parliamentary majority capable of supporting a new Executive. While the position has primarily ceremonial functions, the head of state plays a key role after elections in deciding who he initially grants the mandate to attempt to form a government.
