Gadi Eisenkot’s Israel Opposition Leader Faces a Narrow Path to Power

A coalition with little room

Eisenkot leads the Yashar party and has been asked to try to form a government. He said on X that the country needed a national emergency government and pledged to work to make it worthy.

His potential partners include the centre-left Democrats, led by Yair Golan; Naftali Bennett’s centre-right Together party; and Avigdor Lieberman’s right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu. Together, they hold 13 seats, which would bring Eisenkot’s bloc to exactly 61.

Netanyahu loses ground

Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition has dropped from 64 seats in 2022 to 53, leaving it eight seats short of a majority in the 120-member Knesset. Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot currently has the 61 seats needed to control parliament. United Torah Judaism, a longtime ultra-Orthodox ally of Netanyahu, declined to endorse him or another candidate during consultations with President Isaac Herzog, adding to the prime minister’s difficulties.

Possible support from Arab parties

Eisenkot’s route may involve Hadash, Ta’al and Balad, Arab-led parties with different platforms. Hadash is Arab-Jewish, Ta’al advocates for Palestinian citizens’ rights, and Balad calls for equal rights for all citizens. Golan rejected Netanyahu’s division of voters by identity, saying, “We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes.” Arab-led parties could support a minority government without taking cabinet posts or formally joining the coalition.

A minority government precedent

A minority government can hold cabinet positions without controlling a parliamentary majority. It relies on lawmakers outside the coalition to stay in power and pass legislation.