Israel's president on Saturday selected Gadi Eisenkot, the leading rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to try to form a new government, handing him the daunting task of forging a parliamentary coalition after an indecisive national election last month. Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, said he had held "in-depth talks" with both Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Eisenkot before making his decision. He ultimately tapped Mr. Eisenkot, a center-right former Israeli military chief, after more members of Parliament supported him than Mr. Netanyahu during consultations over the past week.
The announcement gives Mr. Eisenkot a long-awaited chance to fulfill his pledge to unseat Mr. Netanyahu and steer Israel in a new direction, but he faces significant obstacles. He has up to six weeks to build a coalition before the president passes the opportunity to another candidate, most likely Mr. Netanyahu. The Oct. 27 election left all sides short of an outright 61-seat majority. Mr. Netanyahu's coalition won 53 seats, Mr. Eisenkot and his Zionist allies secured 48, and two Arab parties took a record 19.
Mr. Eisenkot faces difficult choices. He could join forces with the two Arab-led parties, but some right-wing Jewish parties in his bloc have said they would not enter a government that relied on their support. He has also set conditions the Arab parties have yet to meet, such as publicly labeling Hamas a terrorist organization. He has said he would work to establish a "national emergency government" to eject Mr. Netanyahu, which would probably mean a minority government supported by parties that do not formally join.
Mr. Netanyahu attacked the prospective government, claiming it would unleash "fires and flames we will see in the streets" and calling it "national suicide." If Mr. Eisenkot fails, Mr. Herzog can select another candidate, and if all candidates fail, Parliament would be dissolved and new elections held. Mr. Netanyahu will serve as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing