67 Recommendations Leave Gadi Eisenkot Short of Stable Israeli Coalition
Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot received the mandate from President Isaac Herzog to form Israel‘s next government after securing 67 parliamentary recommendations following the October 27 election. The fractured political environment leaves political observers questioning whether Yashar party leader Eisenkot can bridge deep ideological divides to unseat caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel’s 120-member Knesset requires a minimum majority of 61 lawmakers to establish a conventional government. While 67 parliamentarians recommended Eisenkot during two days of presidential consultations, his dependable parliamentary bloc currently accounts for just 48 seats. President Isaac Herzog noted that Eisenkot’s backing surpassed the 46 parliamentarians favoring Netanyahu, yet emphasized that securing endorsements differs significantly from building a functioning coalition.
The path to a stable administration is complicated by severe ideological, religious, and ethnic fractures among the supporting factions. Eisenkot holds the expected backing of Jewish-Israeli parties including B’Yachad, Israel Beytenu, and the Democrats, alongside Arab-Israeli parties. Ra’am holds eight seats, while the Joint List holds 11 seats and is expected to support the government from outside without formally joining the coalition.
The Joint List has explicitly ruled out formally entering an Eisenkot-led cabinet due to sharp policy disagreements with the Jewish opposition’s platform. Reports indicate that only 48 of the 67 endorsing lawmakers are currently prepared to work together without conditions. This core falls five short of the 53-seat bloc Netanyahu previously commanded before United Torah Judaism withheld its recommendation.
If Eisenkot fails to forge a viable coalition ahead of the 26th Knesset swearing-in next week, Netanyahu could remain caretaker prime minister. The outcome risks pushing Israel toward prolonged political deadlock or fresh elections.
