Israel opposition leaders back Eisenkot to replace Netanyahu government
Five opposition party heads met in Herzliya to recommend Gadi Eisenkot as prime minister following the recent election.
Opposition leaders in Israel have agreed to support former military chief Gadi Eisenkot as prime minister to replace Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration. The five party heads met on Tuesday in Herzliya to coordinate their strategy following an election that left no bloc with a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, according to Al Jazeera.
The leaders, including former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman, Democrats chairman Yair Golan, and Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid, intend to recommend Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, to President Isaac Herzog. In a joint statement, the group said they would work to establish a national emergency government and prevent further elections.
The opposition bloc secured 48 seats, while Netanyahu’s camp won 53 seats, including 27 for the Likud party. Arab-led parties won 19 seats, including 11 for the Joint List and eight for Ra’am. While Golan supports an alliance with Arab-led parties, Liberman has opposed such a move.
Netanyahu, who is 76, stated on Monday that he wants a broad national government under his leadership. He said the public chose Likud as the largest party and rejected any administration that relies on Arab-majority lists, which he claimed support terrorism and deny Israel is a Jewish state.
President Herzog is scheduled to begin consultations with political parties on Wednesday and Thursday. He has until November 11 to select a candidate to form the next government.
