Symbolic imageHerzog tasks Eisenkot with forming government amid coalition deadlock
President Isaac Herzog gave Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form Israel's government on Sunday. He has 28 days, extendable by up to 14, but no bloc holds 61 seats.
Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, received the mandate at the President's Residence after 67 MKs recommended him, against 46 for Netanyahu. He called for a "national emergency government" and invited Likud and the Religious Zionist Party to join under his four principles. His own bloc holds only 48 seats, and 19 of his 67 backers belong to the Arab parties Ra'am and the Joint List, whose recommendations do not commit them to join a coalition.
Draft dispute divides the bloc
Avigdor Liberman, who rules out reliance on Arab parties, said on Friday he would compromise on haredi conscription. Eisenkot would need the seven seats of United Torah Judaism and the six of Shas, but Shas leader Arye Deri recommended Netanyahu, and haredi sources doubt Shas would even negotiate. Former minister Yoaz Hendel accused the bloc of abandoning its principles.
Netanyahu offers unity
Netanyahu called for a unity government of Likud, the haredi parties and the far-right parties, and warned that a government dependent on Arab parties would destroy Israel from within. Eisenkot called the appeal a "cheap PR stunt".
Trump stays neutral
US President Donald Trump said Eisenkot and Netanyahu have "very similar views" and expressed no preference between them.