Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked opposition leader and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot with forming the country's next government, bypassing incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The decision, announced on Saturday, grants Eisenkot a 28-day mandate to build a governing coalition. To replace Netanyahu as prime minister, Eisenkot must secure the support of at least 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel's parliament, according to Al Jazeera.
The move follows a deadlocked national election on October 27 that left neither leader with a clear path to power. According to Reuters, Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition lost its parliamentary majority in the vote, though it still emerged as the single largest bloc in the Knesset.
Complex Coalition Negotiations Ahead
Eisenkot, who leads the Yashar party and heads an anti-Netanyahu alliance, received the backing of both Arab-led parties to get the first opportunity at forming a government, Middle East Eye reported.
However, political analysts and media outlets, including Deutsche Welle, note that Eisenkot faces difficult coalition negotiations in the coming weeks.
According to Al-Monitor, Eisenkot's opposition bloc has primarily sought to appeal to secular and liberal Israelis. To reach the required parliamentary majority, the bloc has now opened the door to a previously improbable alliance with ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, which could provide the necessary numbers to form a coalition.
Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, continues to fight to remain in office. Rivals view President Herzog's decision to give Eisenkot the first mandate as a significant initial step toward removing the incumbent leader from power.
