Eisenkot tapped to try to form Israel’s next government

President Isaac Herzog tasked Gadi Eisenkot with trying to form a government, despite Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc winning more seats. Eisenkot faces coalition negotiations, and the supplied reports do not establish that he has secured a government.

• President Isaac Herzog invited Gadi Eisenkot to form a government; the formal appointment was due to take place in a ceremony on Sunday.· 1 source
• Eisenkot’s party won 21 Knesset seats, while his broader bloc had 48. Netanyahu’s Likud won 27 seats and his allies another 26, for 53 in total.· 1 source
• Neither bloc had the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Eisenkot would need to negotiate with Arab parties, which held 19 seats, to assemble a coalition.· 1 source
• Herzog’s office said factions representing 67 lawmakers recommended Eisenkot, while factions representing 46 recommended Netanyahu; a faction of seven made no recommendation.· 1 source
• Eisenkot was given 28 days to form a government, with a possible two-week extension. The reports describe him as tasked with forming one, not as having completed a coalition.· 3 sources