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New Delhi : Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot has secured an understanding with prominent opposition leaders over key leadership appointments in the country’s 26th Knesset, as efforts to form a new government gather momentum.
Eisenkot announced the agreement on X after discussions with opposition figures Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Lapid. As part of the arrangement, former minister Matan Kahana has been proposed for the post of Knesset Speaker.
Other proposed appointments include Roy Folkman as chairman of the House Committee, Avigdor Lieberman as head of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, and Liran Avisar Ben-Horrin as chair of the Finance Committee. The proposed committee structure is expected to be finalised this week before being presented to the Knesset plenum.
The political developments come after President Isaac Herzog formally entrusted Eisenkot with the mandate to form the next government on November 8. The decision followed recommendations from 67 lawmakers in Israel’s 120-member parliament.
However, Eisenkot faces a difficult numbers game in securing a parliamentary majority. His four-party core alliance currently commands 48 seats, compared with 53 seats held by outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc.
Under Section 8 of Israel’s Basic Law, Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a government backed by at least 61 lawmakers. The Yashar party leader has called for a broad-based national emergency government, arguing that political unity is essential to overcome the ongoing deadlock and steer the country through its current challenges.
