‘Time to form National Emergency Government’: Gadi Eisenkot after Herzog tasks him with forming Israel's next govt

Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot on Sunday called for the formation of a "national emergency government" after Israeli President Isaac Herzog formally tasked him with forming the country's next government, following strong backing from a majority of lawmakers in the 120-member Knesset.

In a post on X, Eisenkot said, “Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything to ensure we are worthy.”

The development marks a major setback for incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose bid to retain power suffered a blow after 67 lawmakers recommended Eisenkot for the leadership of the next government, crossing the 61-seat threshold required for a parliamentary majority.

According to a statement issued by the Office of the President of Israel, Herzog made the decision after consulting representatives of all political factions and holding discussions with both Netanyahu and Eisenkot.

"President of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog has decided to task the chairman of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, with forming the government. The president’s decision was made at the conclusion of the round of consultations with Knesset factions, and after holding in-depth conversations and further inquiries with various figures in the political system over the past few days," the statement said.

The consultation results showed that factions representing 67 lawmakers recommended Eisenkot, while 46 backed Netanyahu. The remaining seven lawmakers chose not to recommend either candidate.

Eisenkot's support includes 48 seats from the Jewish-led opposition bloc comprising Yashar, Together, The Democrats and Yisrael Beiteinu, eight seats from the Arab Ra'am party and 11 from the Arab-led Joint List. The Joint List's unanimous endorsement helped Eisenkot secure support beyond the majority mark.

Netanyahu faced another setback after the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party, which holds seven seats, declined to endorse him. Its decision marks a significant strain in its long-standing political alliance with the Likud leader.

A former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), Eisenkot will have up to six weeks to negotiate with potential coalition partners, finalise agreements and secure the parliamentary support needed to form the 38th government.

Eisenkot's four-pillar framework for emergency government

Eisenkot has proposed a four-pillar framework for the formation of a national emergency administration, setting out his priorities for the new government.

The framework includes recognising Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, upholding the country's Declaration of Independence, ensuring universal national and military conscription, and dismantling Hamas's military and political wings.

He has also rejected the prospect of Netanyahu continuing as caretaker prime minister during wartime, arguing for a change in leadership through the proposed emergency government.

The formal mandate from Herzog now puts Eisenkot in a position to begin coalition negotiations, with the coming weeks likely to determine whether he can bring together the different political factions and secure the numbers needed to replace Netanyahu.

(With ANI inputs)