Overview
- President Isaac Herzog handed Gadi Eisenkot the mandate on Nov. 8 after consultations in which lawmakers representing 67 Knesset seats recommended him over Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Eisenkot’s four‑party core holds 48 seats, leaving him 13 short of the 61 needed to win a confidence vote and forcing a choice between relying on the Joint List and Ra’am, enlisting Shas and United Torah Judaism, or negotiating with Likud.
- Avigdor Liberman has publicly ruled out letting a government depend on Arab‑party support and has proposed instead courting the ultra‑Orthodox if they accept new conscription terms.
- Opposition partners have already struck initial deals on Knesset roles, nominating Matan Kahana for speaker and Avigdor Liberman to chair the foreign affairs and defence committee as the new parliament was sworn in on Nov. 10.
- If Eisenkot fails to form a coalition within 28 days plus a possible 14‑day extension, the president can name a second candidate who will get 28 days and Netanyahu would be the likely next choice with fresh talks or the prospect of new elections on the horizon.