Israeli President Isaac Herzog has announced his intention to name a member of the Knesset to lead the formation of a new government this coming Sunday. This decision follows two days of extensive consultations held with all political party leaders in the wake of the October 27 election.
In a video message released on Thursday, Herzog noted the breakdown of recommendations from parliament members. According to the President, 46 members of parliament recommended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the role, while 67 members backed his opponent, Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief. Seven lawmakers chose to abstain from the process.
The path toward forming a government remains complex, as neither Netanyahu—a polarising right-winger who has led Israel through three years of genocide in Gaza—nor Eisenkot secured enough votes to establish a clear majority. While the President holds the authority to choose whom to task with the mandate, the traditional practice is to select the candidate who receives the support of the highest number of parties, a position currently held by Eisenkot.
Bolstering Eisenkot’s chances, Israel’s largest Arab lists officially declared their support for him on Thursday. The Joint List, which holds 11 seats, confirmed it would inform President Herzog of its decision to recommend Eisenkot. Similarly, the Raam party, which secured eight seats, also endorsed the former military chief. These Arab-majority lists achieved an unprecedented 19 seats in the recent election, potentially positioning them as kingmakers, though it remains unclear if Eisenkot’s opposition will choose to formally work with them. Netanyahu’s position has been further complicated by the loss of support from an allied religious party.
