Eisenkot open to Netanyahu joining Israel’s next government

Israel's opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, the man officially tasked by President Isaac Herzog with trying to form the country's next administration, has stated that he was open to including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his coalition lineup.

Key points

• Eisenkot led Israel's military from 2015 to 2019 and sat as an observer in Netanyahu's war cabinet for the first eight months of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
• In a speech at Sunday's ceremony in Herzog's office in Jerusalem, Eisenkot suggested Netanyahu's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was additionally welcome to join.
• Herzog, meanwhile, cautioned that the country faced uncertainties after the November 3 midterm elections in the United States.
• "The State of Israel needs a stable government, " Herzog remarked, pointing to the "new political reality" in the US.
• Arab-led parties, representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, won a record 19 seats.

"If members of Likud and the Religious Zionist Party truly believe this is a time for unity, as they told the president, I cannot conceive of any reason why they would not support a government under my leadership and the principles I have presented, " Eisenkot remarked.

Eisenkot, who ran as Netanyahu's main rival, has six weeks to form a new administration. At the ceremony, Eisenkot remarked he will act in the interests of the public and represent all parts of Israeli society.

Herzog, meanwhile, cautioned that the country faced uncertainties after the November 3 midterm elections in the United States. It brought victories for a number of political figures critical of Israel and the US's military backing.

Eisenkot led Israel's military from 2015 to 2019 and sat as an observer in Netanyahu's war cabinet for the first eight months of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. It began in October 2023.

Despite this, Arab-led parties endorsed Eisenkot for the mandate to replace Netanyahu.

While Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc secured 53, leaving both short of the 61 needed for a parliamentary majority, in Israel's October 27 elections, Eisenkot's four-party alliance won 48 seats. Arab-led parties, representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, won a record 19 seats.

Eisenkot has ruled out forming a administration with the Arab-led parties. It would provide him a 67-seat bloc. Winning over the two ultra-Orthodox parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, would offer him exactly 61 seats.

He could additionally form a administration with fewer than 61 seats if he wins a parliamentary confidence vote.

"Netanyahu still has time to derail Gadi Eisenkot's efforts to form a government and sabotage attempts to gain a vote of confidence, " remarked Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh, reporting from Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.

In the meantime, he remains caretaker prime minister. If Eisenkot fails, Netanyahu would be the natural second in line to be tasked with forming a administration. And if he fails, elections would then be called, and that would still allow Netanyahu to remain as caretaker.

"Plenty of of Netanyahu's critics say that is his aim. The major question in Israeli politics now is: does the opposition really want to secure rid of Netanyahu? Or is the opposition to Palestinian Israelis in mainstream politics so solid that they're willing to risk keeping Netanyahu in power by going back to the ballot box?"

In short, eisenkot open to Netanyahu joining Israel's next government is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.