Israeli President Isaac Herzog officially tasked opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot with forming the country’s next government on Sunday evening, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Complex coalition negotiations still lie ahead, but the move marks an important step in the former military chief’s effort to remove Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, from power. The election took place in a deeply divided country still bearing the scars of the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and the multi-front wars that followed.
“I sincerely hope that whichever government is formed will bring unity, closeness and healing among all sections of our people – because our very existence depends on it, and we have only one state,” Herzog said during the ceremony at the presidential residence in Jerusalem.
However, the announcement does not guarantee that Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, will become the country’s next prime minister. He has up to six weeks to form a coalition government by securing political alliances. The task is challenging, as the October 27 election gave neither his bloc nor Netanyahu’s a clear parliamentary majority.
Herzog said that during consultations with political parties, a majority of members of the parliament, known as the Knesset, had supported appointing Eisenkot to the task.
During Sunday’s ceremony, Eisenkot pledged to offer the country leadership that citizens could trust, would act in the public interest and would represent all sections of Israeli society.
“An absolute majority of Knesset members, representing the Israeli public, support change,” he said.
“I intend to manage this situation with patience, humility, calmness and a deep commitment to a Jewish, equal, liberal and secure Israel.”
