Israel’s political shake-up enters new phase as former PM plays kingmaker — and deadline looms

Israel’s newly elected parliament has been sworn in, but talks to form a government remain difficult, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long tenure in question. Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot is leading efforts to assemble a coalition, with former prime minister Naftali Bennett backing his bid and acting as a potential kingmaker.

Eisenkot’s Yashar party won 21 seats and Bennett’s B’Yachad won 12, giving their cooperating bloc the support of 33 lawmakers, though the parties remain separate and their arrangement does not guarantee agreement on a coalition. Netanyahu’s Likud holds 27 seats; 67 lawmakers recommended Eisenkot to lead government formation, compared with 46 for Netanyahu. After a heated parliamentary speech in which Bennett challenged Netanyahu over Qatar and the 7 October 2023 attacks, Eisenkot cancelled a planned meeting with Likud representatives.