Israeli Opposition Leaders Unite Behind Gadi Eisenkot to Form Emergency Government

Israel’s opposition leaders have agreed to unite behind former military chief Gadi Eisenkot as their candidate for prime minister, vowing to replace Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration with all due urgency.

The leaders of five opposition parties convened on Tuesday in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, marking their first joint assembly since the October 27 election. That vote left neither political bloc with a decisive majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

This consensus was reached just one day before President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to begin official consultations with various parties to determine who should lead the formation of the next government.

However, the opposition bloc remains deeply divided over the prospect of aligning with Arab-led parties, whose crucial support could prove decisive in forming a government.

Push for a ‘National emergency government’

In a joint statement, the party leaders announced that all of their respective parties would formally recommend Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, to President Herzog. They declared that negotiating teams would immediately begin drafting policy guidelines and coalition agreements.

“The party leaders are coordinated and will act immediately to replace the ‘Oct. 7 government’ with a national emergency government,” the joint statement declared.

The historic meeting brought together Gadi Eisenkot, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman, Yair Golan of the Democrats, and Yair Lapid, who heads the Yesh Atid party, according to reports.

The leaders endorsed four core principles established by Eisenkot, which include recognizing Israel as a Jewish state and designating Hamas as a terrorist organization—conditions that could effectively exclude certain Arab-led parties from coalition talks.

“We don’t have time—we must act with great urgency,” Bennett, whose party secured third place in the election, told reporters.

Arab parties hold the balance of power

Following the election, Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats, while the opposition won 48. Arab-led parties captured 19 seats, with the Joint List taking 11 and Ra’am securing eight. Achieving a majority requires at least 61 seats in the Knesset.

Yousef Jabareen, head of the largest Arab-led party in the upcoming parliament, stated that the opposition must accept the “political reality” and join forces to oust Netanyahu.

Among the opposition leaders, Yair Golan is the only one openly advocating for an alliance with Arab-led parties, calling their exclusion racist.

Prior to the negotiations, Golan met with leaders of the Arab-led parties, promising to address the high crime rates affecting Palestinian communities in Israel.

Following the meeting, both sides emphasized a “shared interest in using the parliamentary majority to bring down the Netanyahu-Ben-Gvir-Smotrich government and replace it,” according to a joint statement.

While Avigdor Liberman has firmly opposed including Arab-led parties in any coalition, he has also expressed a strong desire to avoid heading to another election.

Israel’s Arab minority has long faced political marginalization, a situation that has intensified significantly since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7 and the subsequent military campaign in Gaza.

At least two former Palestinian politicians and one current member of the Knesset have been briefly arrested for comments or actions deemed critical of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and its occupation of the West Bank.

Arab citizens of Israel are descendants of the Palestinians who remained within the borders of the newly established state of Israel following the 1948 Nakba, or catastrophe. They constitute approximately 20 percent of the country’s population.

Netanyahu seeks ‘broad national government’

On Monday, Netanyahu called for a “broad national government” under his leadership, pointing out that his Likud party, with 27 seats, remained the largest single party. However, no opposition leader has expressed any willingness to join his administration.

He has categorically ruled out any coalition with Arab-majority lists, alleging that they “support terrorism and deny the existence of the Jewish state.”

Netanyahu, 76, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is currently on trial on corruption charges and is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the conflict in Gaza.

More than 74,000 Palestinians have been reported killed in the enclave since Israel launched its military offensive in October 2023.

President Herzog will hold consultations on Wednesday and Thursday to decide the next steps. Gadi Eisenkot is positioned to receive the most recommendations for forming a government if he can secure the crucial backing of Arab lawmakers.

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