Political maneuvering to form a new government has intensified in Israel, following recent elections in which no major political bloc secured a clear parliamentary majority. On one side, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to keep his right-wing alliance intact, while on the other, Gadi Eisenkot\u2014a leader associated with the ‘Yesh Atid’ (or similar centrist\/opposition) camp\u2014is focused on broadening the circle of potential allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this context, Eisenkot has met with opposition leader Yair Lapid, and a meeting with Avigdor Liberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, is also expected. The purpose of these contacts is to assess the prospects for a potential governing coalition before President Isaac Herzog begins consultations with the various political parties on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the receipt of official election results on Wednesday, President Herzog will hold consultations with representatives from the different parties. Based on their recommendations, he will task one leader with the mandate to form a government. The designated leader will have 28 days to assemble a government, with the possibility of a 14-day extension if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 66-year-old Eisenkot has set four fundamental conditions for potential coalition partners: recognizing Israel as a Jewish, democratic, and liberal state; upholding the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence; supporting military or national service for all citizens; and acknowledging Hamas as a terrorist organization, coupled with a commitment to curbing its military capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eisenkot has indicated that any party willing to agree to these principles may join the government. He has not explicitly ruled out the inclusion of Ultra-Orthodox or Arab parties. They have also included among their priorities the establishment of an official commission to investigate the events of October 7, 2023, legislation regarding military conscription, and the replacement of the current Knesset Speaker, Amir Ohana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ahmad Tibi, a leader of the Joint List, has indicated that his party could pave the way for an alternative coalition without actually joining the government. He further stated that his party would not support a potential no-confidence motion against a new government, nor would it back the dissolution of the Knesset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Israeli media, informal contacts are also underway between the “change” camp and the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party. These discussions explore various models for a minority government, including options where certain parties might simply abstain from voting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Separately, Benjamin Netanyahu remains in constant contact with his right-wing allies, including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. He has reiterated that he will not support any government that relies on the votes of Arab parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on the election results, Jewish parties opposed to Netanyahu have secured 48 seats, while Arab parties\u2014including Ra’am and the Joint List\u2014hold a combined total of 19 seats. If all these parties were to form a coalition, they would command a clear majority of 67 seats; however, there are internal disagreements within the opposition alliance regarding this possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arab parties have officially been part of an Israeli government only once: in 2021, when Ra’am\u2014under the leadership of Mansour Abbas\u2014joined a coalition government. That coalition, however, collapsed in 2022. Mansour Abbas has expressed his willingness to repeat this experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen has stated that his party could consider supporting Eisenkot in parliament\u2014without joining the government\u2014though they maintain reservations regarding certain issues, including the war in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although Eisenkot presents himself as an alternative to Netanyahu, his views on several fundamental matters\u2014particularly concerning security and Gaza\u2014are considered quite similar to Netanyahu\u2019s own positions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Political maneuvering to form a new government has intensified in Israel, following recent elections in which no major political bloc secured a clear parliamentary majority. On one side, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to keep his right-wing alliance intact, while on the other, Gadi Eisenkot\u2014a leader associated with the ‘Yesh Atid’ (or similar centrist\/opposition) camp\u2014is focused on broadening the circle of potential allies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3564,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[503,91,206],"class_list":["post-3563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-eisenkot","tag-israel","tag-netan-yahu"],"yoast_head":"\n