Israeli president taps opposition candidate Eisenkot to form government, setback for Netanyahu

JERUSALEM — Israeli President Isaac Herzog declared on Saturday evening that he gave the opposition candidate Gadi Eizenkot the first opportunity to form a government coalition after the elections on October 27.

Eizenkot a former military leader who presented himself as the prime minister’s main challenger Benjamin Netanyahu is now one step closer to ousting Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.

He has up to six weeks to form a coalition, a difficult task in a country deeply divided and shaken by the attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023 and the three years of wars that followed in Gaza and beyond.

In discussions with the president this week, representatives of most of Israel’s major parties recommended Eizenkot will be responsible for forming a new government, but establishing the necessary parliamentary majority remains difficult.