Eisenkot open to Netanyahu joining Israel’s next government

Gadi Eisenkot, Israel’s opposition leader, has six weeks to try to form the next government after President Isaac Herzog gave him the mandate. He said Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party could join a coalition if they support his proposed principles, presenting unity as a possible basis for government.

The election left Eisenkot’s four-party alliance with 48 seats and Netanyahu’s bloc with 53, short of the 61 needed for a parliamentary majority. Arab-led parties won a record 19 seats and endorsed Eisenkot, but he has ruled out relying on them; joining with the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism would give him 61 seats. If he fails, Netanyahu could be asked to form a government, with another failure potentially leading to elections while he remains caretaker prime minister.