What happened
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar ("Straight") party, with assembling a government, according to Al Jazeera. The decision follows elections that left no political alliance with a majority in the Knesset. Eisenkot is a former chief of staff of the Israeli military.
He has 28 days to put a coalition together, with the possibility of a 14-day extension. If he fails, Herzog would let another leader, most likely Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, make the attempt. If that also fails, new elections would be called.
Al Jazeera notes that Eisenkot became leader of his volatile opposition bloc only days before the October 27 vote. Even then, it said, messaging from within the bloc seemed confused and contradictory, with no clear central coordinating figure.
The coalition math
As things stand, Al Jazeera reports, Eisenkot is unlikely to assemble the kind of majority government that Netanyahu has used to push through a right-wing agenda. He may need support from at least one of the two ultra-Orthodox parties, which have often allied with Netanyahu. He would also need to persuade more right-wing members of his own bloc to accept backing from Arab parties outside the government.
United Torah Judaism has broken with its traditional partner Shas by declining to endorse Netanyahu. According to Al Jazeera, any support from that party is likely to come in return for keeping the de facto shield for young ultra-Orthodox men who refuse military service. Arab parties, even if they support him from outside, are likely to want a meaningful effort against a wave of violent crime in Palestinian communities inside Israel. They would also want an end to settler violence in the occupied West Bank, which the outlet links to far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Aida Touma-Sliman, a Knesset member from Hadash and the Joint List, said recent developments show Eisenkot does not want to rely on Palestinian voters. "He appears much more willing to compromise with the ultra-Orthodox religious parties, particularly over the law governing military conscription, than risk being seen to depend on Arab support," she said.
Israel's standing in the United States
Al Jazeera says the next prime minister must also address Israel's image in the United States, which it describes as at an all-time low among the American public because of the war in Gaza and the US-Israel war on Iran. It says Netanyahu is accused of convincing President Donald Trump to start the Iran war.
The outlet reports that on the eve of midterm elections it describes as disastrous for Trump, he announced an end to the $3.8bn annual military aid package to Israel. It adds that Republicans suffered historic losses and that senior officials, including Vice President JD Vance, blamed the Iran war.
Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment told Al Jazeera that perceptions are entrenched. "In the eyes of many, Israel is no longer David but Goliath," he said, adding that Eisenkot may face the toughest US landscape any Israeli prime minister has had to navigate. Miller also said Eisenkot's discomfort on the public stage and reluctance to speak English would be challenges.
Profile and record
Al Jazeera says Eisenkot has the backing of most Israelis as much for what he is not as for what he is. Born in Tiberias to parents from Marrakesh and Casablanca, he grew up in Eilat and joined the army at 18, later becoming chief of staff. He served about eight months in the national unity government Netanyahu formed after the October 7, 2023 attacks. His son Gal was killed in northern Gaza in December 2023, followed a day later by his nephew Maor. Another nephew, Yogev Pazy, was killed in Gaza in November 2024.
Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House said Eisenkot offers what Israel needs now: "a sense of normalcy and the understanding that there are rules that apply equally and to everyone, including the government."
Al Jazeera also scrutinizes his military record. It calls him the architect of the Dahiyeh Doctrine, which it says advocates disproportionate force against civilian communities, and cites UN figures on Palestinian deaths during his years as chief of staff. It says a UN commission found reasonable grounds to believe forces under his command committed serious violations of international law. The outlet argues his premiership may change little for Palestinians.
