Israel is on the verge of a historic political shift. President Isaac Herzog will on Sunday hand the mandate to form the next government to Gadi Eisenkot, the retired military chief who led the centrist Yashar party in the October 27 election.
It is a major setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, who is now one step closer to being ousted from power. But the road ahead is still complicated. Eisenkot will have up to six weeks to build a coalition.
On paper, he has the numbers. He secured the backing of 67 members of the incoming Knesset, including 19 from the two Arab parties. Netanyahu received just 46 recommendations.
In a sign of cracks inside Netanyahu’s once-loyal bloc, United Torah Judaism, a traditional ally, declined to recommend him during Herzog’s two days of consultations with all parties last week.
Herzog’s decision does not automatically remove Netanyahu from office. Eisenkot has a mandate and a parliamentary majority, but not yet a governing coalition. He is pushing to move fast and wants to swear in a minority government as soon as possible, which he calls a “national emergency government.”
It would be built on four Jewish opposition parties holding 48 seats together and has laid down four conditions for any partner to join — recognize Israel as a Jewish, democratic, liberal and egalitarian state; commit to the values of the Declaration of Independence; support universal service, whether military, national or civilian; and recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization.
For observers of Israeli politics, the stakes go beyond politics. A change of government in Jerusalem at this moment, with the US-Iran war still unresolved and the Middle East on edge, could reshape the next phase of the war, the hostage negotiations, and Israel’s relationship with Washington.
The next six weeks will decide whether Eisenkot can turn a paper majority into a real government, or whether Netanyahu finds a way back.
What An Eisenkot Govt Could Mean
A change in Jerusalem is never just politics. It is prophecy in motion. Netanyahu has framed the Iran war as a fight for survival. Eisenkot, a former chief of staff, speaks more of emergency unity, shared burden, and a government that can make hard compromises.
If he succeeds, expect three shifts. First is a pause from war for diplomacy, but not peace. Iran will test a new the leader fast. Second, Washington may find a more flexible partner, but also a less predictable one. Third, Eisenkot’s coalition spans left to right, secular to religious. That unity could crack under pressure.
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