Israeli President tasks Gadi Eisenkot with attempting to form a government

After elections in which Netanyahu's bloc narrowly edged out the opposition, President Isaac Herzog, following consultations with the parties, gave Gadi Eisenkot the first chance to form a government. He has 28 days (with a possible 14-day extension) to secure 61 mandates in the Knesset.

Aziz KarimovFirst published on tafs uz 10 November 2026 at 20:462 min read

The key facts

Netanyahu's coalition won 53 mandates, the opposition 48; forming a government requires at least 61 of 120
67 members of the new Knesset recommended Eisenkot for prime minister, 46 recommended Netanyahu
Eisenkot has 28 days to form a coalition, with the deadline extendable by another 14 days

Eisenkot received the first mandate to form a government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, after consultations with political parties, decided that the opportunity to form a new government first will be given to Gadi Eisenkot, not to incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This was reported by the Kun.uz outlet citing a statement from the president's office: Herzog notified both politicians of his decision.

The balance of power in the Knesset

In the elections held two weeks earlier, Netanyahu's ruling coalition narrowly edged out Eisenkot's party: the coalition won 53 mandates, while the opposition bloc received 48. To form a government on its own in the 120-seat Knesset, at least 61 mandates are required, meaning neither side has yet secured the necessary number. During the consultations, 67 members of the new Knesset recommended Eisenkot for the post of prime minister, while 46 recommended Netanyahu. By law, the president may entrust the formation of a cabinet to the candidate with the best chances of assembling a coalition, and this is not necessarily the leader of the party with the largest number of mandates. Eisenkot now has 28 days to attempt to form a government, and the deadline may be extended by another 14 days.

Who is Gadi Eisenkot

The 66-year-old Eisenkot is a former Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. He is a relative newcomer to politics: his official political career began in 2022, when he was elected to the Knesset from the National Unity party, which he later left over 'ideological differences.' Last year he founded the centrist Yashar party and in these elections became Netanyahu's main rival. Netanyahu himself has in recent years faced corruption charges (which he denies), been criticized for his actions related to the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, and his judicial reform sparked mass protests. According to Kun.uz, a personal tragedy also influenced Eisenkot's decision to run against Netanyahu: his youngest son, Staff Sergeant Gal Eisenkot, was killed in December 2023 in the northern Gaza Strip in an explosion while carrying out the bodies of two Israelis who had died in captivity.