Is Benjamin Netanyahu losing power? Gadi Eisenkot gets first chance to form new Israeli Government

Israel Political Crisis: Israeli Politics have reached a major turning point as President Isaac Herzog has given opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the first chance to form a New Government.

For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this is a significant setback as he has lost majority support despite his Likud party being the largest party in parliament.

Former IDF chief Eisenkot has recommendations from 67 lawmakers and now needs to form a New Government.

However, this does not necessarily mean Netanyahu’s long political career is finally coming to an end. It all depends on what happens with the coalition talks over the next few weeks.

Gadi Eisenkot gets 42 days to form a Government

President Isaac Herzog has given Eisenkot 42 days to negotiate with political parties in order to gain support.

This follows talks with political figures, Eisenkot and Netanyahu. As a result, Eisenkot has the first chance to become Prime Minister.

He has called for a national emergency government and will try to form a government to tackle Israel’s issues.

How did Gadi Eisenkot gain recommendations?

Eisenkot has gained recommendations from political parties who have 67 members in the 120 member Knesset:

48 Jewish opposition lawmakers

8 Arab Ra’am lawmakers

11 Joint List lawmakers

This was significantly important as the Arab parties helped Eisenkot cross the 61 member line required to have a majority in parliament.

Netanyahu however only gained recommendations from political parties who had 46 members. 7 lawmakers were undecided.

However, the recommendations do not guarantee a coalition government will be formed. Eisenkot will need to negotiate with potential allies.

Arab parties will determine Israel’s future

Eisenkot has gained an advantage due to the Support From Ra’am and Joint List. This means he could easily win the required support in parliament with their 19 members.

However, there are political sensitivities around Eisenkot working with Arab led parties. Ra’am worked alongside Naftali Bennett’s government back in 2021 but the government fell down after 18 months.

Gadi Eisenkot could form a minority government but this would rely on external Support From the Arab parties. Some parties including Avigdor Lieberman’s Israel Our Home would be against this.

This could become one of the largest hurdles to overcome.

Ultra Orthodox Parties

Eisenkot could also negotiate with the two ultra Orthodox parties in Israel. These parties have 13 members between them.

This could give the opposition the majority they need without needing Support From the Arab parties.

However, there may be issues as there are disagreements about the military exemption. Both Eisenkot and Lieberman have criticised the traditional exemption for ultra Orthodox seminary students.

It is a sensitive topic as many Israelis feel the military duties should be shared more fairly.

What does Gadi Eisenkot want from a New Government?

Eisenkot wants to form a national emergency government. He wants to ensure:

Israel is recognised as a Jewish and democratic state,

The Declaration of Independence upheld,

All citizens to be conscripted into the military,

Hamas military and political wing dismantled.

His party Yashar have stated they will only work with parties and lawmakers who agree with these terms.

This could limit the amount of potential allies Eisenkot has.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s party is still the Largest Party

Despite the setback, Netanyahu still has some political power.

He has gained 27 seats making his party the largest single party but his religious nationalist group has dropped to 53 seats meaning they are 8 seats short of a majority.

He has called for a wide reaching national unity government. He believes Israel needs to have a strong unity government to fight security threats, particularly those from Iran.

But the opposition leaders have rejected this idea and want a change in government.

Netanyahu is trying to prevent Eisenkot partnering with Arab parties

A large part of Netanyahu’s political strategy has been to try to prevent Eisenkot partnering with Arab led parties.

He has questioned why they would want to be involved in government and has called their partnership a national security issue.

However, Eisenkot has indicated he may be willing to work with them if they agree on his stance towards Hamas.

This could become a major issue during the negotiations.

Netanyahu could get another shot

If Eisenkot is unable to gain support within the 42 days, Herzog could give Netanyahu another chance.

He could try to persuade members of other parties to join him and gain a majority in parliament.

As he is an experienced politician and his party is the largest, he is still an important figure in the process.

Another election could happen

If neither Gadi Eisenkot or Netanyahu are able to form a government, another election could happen.

This means attempts can be made to find a candidate who can gain support in parliament. If no government is formed within the time frame, another national election may be required.

A unity government could be formed with Eisenkot’s allies and Likud but this would require huge political concessions.

What happens next?

The coming weeks will be very important for Israel. Whilst Gadi Eisenkot has the first chance, it depends on whether political parties with differing priorities can come to an agreement.

The main issues will be whether they can work with Arab parties, military exemptions, national security policies and how Netanyahu’s Likud will play a role.

Whilst Netanyahu has lost political power, it is not certain he will be removed from power. It depends on what happens with the coalition talks.

The main thing to watch is whether Gadi Eisenkot can use his support in parliament to form a stable government.