Israeli opposition picks Eisenkot to replace Netanyahu government

Emergency government bid

Israeli opposition leaders agreed Tuesday to recommend Yashar party head Gadi Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog as their candidate to form a new government, vowing to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration with what they termed a "national emergency government." The decision emerged from a joint meeting in Herzliya ahead of presidential consultations scheduled for Wednesday.

"The party leaders are coordinated and will act immediately to replace the 'Oct. 7 government' with a national emergency government," the parties said in a joint statement, adding that they would seek to realize a "clear parliamentary majority" in the Knesset based on the four principles put forward by Eisenkot. They agreed to recommend Eisenkot to Herzog with the aim of completing the process quickly and sparing Israel another election, while their negotiating teams immediately begin drafting policy guidelines and coalition agreements.

Opposition urgency

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told Israeli public broadcaster KAN following the session that the opposition must move quickly to establish a new administration. "We have no time. We must move extremely quickly. We will therefore work as soon as possible to secure the Knesset speakership, obtain the mandate to form the government and move forward at full speed to establish a Zionist government of rectification," Bennett said.

Tuesday's gathering marked the first coordinated effort by opposition factions since the October 27 elections, which left Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats against 48 for the opposition alliance, with Arab parties holding 19 seats. The meeting brought together Eisenkot, Bennett of the Together party, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman, Yair Golan of the Democrats and opposition leader Yair Lapid, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Coalition arithmetic

The opposition remains short of the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset, making potential support from Arab lawmakers critical to any successful government formation. The leaders affirmed their commitment to respecting the election results and defending the Central Elections Committee against what they described as a "dangerous and irresponsible" campaign by Likud to delegitimize the vote.

The Knesset is scheduled to convene on November 10 to elect a new speaker, replacing incumbent Amir Ohana of the Likud party, as the Central Elections Committee prepares to announce official final results on Wednesday.