# Eisenkot gets chance to form Israeli government after election deadlock

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/israels-president-picks-yashar-leader-gadi-eisenkot-to-form-government/
- Published: 2026-11-07T19:49:39+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T20:21:18+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/nov/07/israel-president-gadi-eisenkot-form-government
- Topics: Elections, Government, Middle East, Politics, World

## Key points

- Eisenkot has been tasked with trying to form Israel’s next government.
- Neither bloc won a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
- Arab-majority lists could influence coalition talks.

## Summary

President Isaac Herzog has chosen opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to try to form Israel’s next government after last month’s election left parliament deadlocked. If Eisenkot can secure a coalition, he would replace Benjamin Netanyahu, whose religious-nationalist bloc lost its majority despite remaining the largest group; the outcome could reshape the country’s direction after Netanyahu’s long and divisive tenure.

Eisenkot’s opposition bloc won 48 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, while Netanyahu’s camp won 53, leaving both short of a majority. The two Arab-majority lists endorsed Eisenkot, giving them potential influence, but it is unclear whether his bloc would accept their support. A former military chief, Eisenkot has opposed Palestinian statehood and vowed to end Hamas’s rule in Gaza, while also criticising attacks by extremist West Bank settlers.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.