Herzog picks Gadi Eisenkot to try forming Israel's next government
Eisenkot's anti-Netanyahu alliance has 28 days to secure 61 Knesset seats, with coalition talks expected to be difficult.
Key facts
Story- President Isaac Herzog has asked Gadi Eisenkot to form Israel's next government
- Eisenkot, a former military chief, leads an alliance opposed to Benjamin Netanyahu
- He has 28 days to secure 61 seats in the Knesset, the parliament
President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot with forming Israel's next government. Eisenkot leads an alliance opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The date of the announcement was 8 November 2026.
Herzog formally gave Eisenkot 28 days to put together a coalition with at least 61 seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. If he succeeds, he would replace Netanyahu as prime minister. The coalition talks are expected to be difficult.
Eisenkot is a former chief of the Israeli military. His alliance was built around opposition to Netanyahu, and the presidential decision marks a formal step towards a change of leadership. Netanyahu's response to the decision has not been given.
The 28-day window is the period in which Eisenkot must show he can win the support of enough lawmakers. If he cannot, the process could move to another candidate or to a different arrangement. It is not yet known what would happen in that case.
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