Israel: Former PM Bennett Backs Gadi Eisenkot to Form Next Government

Tel Aviv: Efforts to form a new government are underway in Israel following last week’s parliamentary elections. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that his party would recommend Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog for the task of forming the next government.

Bennett’s BeYachad party said in a statement that the decision was made on his instructions and that he had personally informed Eisenkot. The statement added that Bennett had pledged during the campaign to respect the voters’ decision and that his endorsement was in line with that commitment.

The move strengthens Eisenkot’s chances of receiving the first mandate to form a government. Israeli media reported that Yair Golan’s Democrats party also intends to recommend Eisenkot during consultations with President Herzog, although Golan has not yet made a formal announcement.

According to the final results of the 26th Knesset election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud won 27 seats, while Eisenkot’s Yashar secured 21, Bennett’s BeYachad won 12, and Golan’s Democrats took 8 seats.

Netanyahu’s political bloc won 53 seats overall, while the opposition bloc secured 48 and Arab-led parties won 19. Neither bloc reached the 61-seat majority required to form a government in the 120-member Knesset, leaving Israel in a political deadlock.

Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg will formally submit the results to President Herzog on November 4. The president will then begin consultations with party and bloc representatives to determine which candidate should be tasked with forming a government.

Under Israeli law, the candidate assigned to form a government initially receives 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension. If no candidate succeeds, the country could face another election