Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Saturday night he was giving opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a governing coalition after elections on Oct. 27.
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Saturday night that he was giving opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a governing coalition following the Oct. 27 election.
Eisenkot, a former military chief, ran as the main challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and led a bloc of parties seeking to oust Israel’s longest-serving premier.
Neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu won a clear majority in the vote, but after marathon discussions with the president during the week, representatives from most of Israel’s main parties recommended Eisenkot be tasked with assembling a new government.
The announcement was made shortly after Netanyahu called for a “national unity government” in a video statement and warned against “hastily swearing in a government with terrorist supporters,” an apparent reference to Arab-led parties.
Netanyahu and his allies have portrayed the Arab-led parties as a national security threat, while Eisenkot has indicated he is willing to partner with them under certain conditions, including calling Hamas a terrorist group that needs to be destroyed.
Eisenkot’s party, Yashar, criticized Netanyahu’s video in a statement posted on X, urging Likud members to disavow their alliance with “radical parties.” The statement said Eisenkot would include only parties and members of parliament that support its principles, including recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization.
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