Overview
- President Isaac Herzog formally asked Gadi Eisenkot to form a government after consultations that produced recommendations from lawmakers holding 67 Knesset seats, a decision made on Sunday and reported across multiple outlets.
- Under Israel’s Basic Law Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a coalition and can seek a single 14‑day extension from the president if talks need more time.
- Eisenkot’s bloc holds 48 seats and can reach a majority only by securing outside support from the two Arab-led lists (19 seats), winning over ultra‑Orthodox parties Shas and UTJ (13 seats), or forming a unity government with Netanyahu’s Likud and allies.
- Key obstacles include Avigdor Liberman’s refusal to back any government that depends on Arab-party votes, UTJ’s withheld recommendation and the ultra‑Orthodox demand to preserve draft exemptions, all of which complicate each path to 61 seats.
- Eisenkot framed the effort as urgent for national security, and failure to form a government would send the mandate to another lawmaker or, if deadlock persists, could lead to new elections within months and continued caretaker rule.