Israel’s president taps Netanyahu rival Gadi Eisenkot to form a government
Isaac Herzog’s choice of the Yashar party leader deals a major setback to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after Israel’s largest Arab party grouping backed Eisenkot.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced on Saturday that he will task Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the opposition Yashar party, with forming a new government1. The decision deals a major setback to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu1.
Herzog chose Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s rival, on Saturday2,7. Eisenkot is now trying to form a government3,4.
The choice followed a show of support from parties outside Netanyahu’s camp. Israel’s largest Arab party grouping declared its support on Thursday for Eisenkot to form the next government6. Netanyahu is facing a fresh political challenge as key allies abandon him, with 67 backing his rival5.
Get AiM Weekly, free.
Why it matters to investors
The mandate shifts the initiative in Israeli politics away from Netanyahu. Being tasked with forming a government is the formal step that lets Eisenkot try to assemble a coalition1,3, and the reported figure of 67 backing the rival5 indicates the scale of the support he can draw on.
The timing matters for markets that price risk in the region. The change comes as Gulf tensions remain and the US warns Iran of a “heavy hit” while talks continue4. A new prime minister would inherit those tensions, and any change in Israel’s leadership could alter how the country approaches the conflict.
The support of the Arab party grouping6 is a notable feature of the coalition math. It shows Eisenkot drawing support from outside Netanyahu’s camp, at the same time as key allies of the prime minister abandon him5,6. The grouping is the largest of its kind in Israel6, which gives its endorsement weight in the count.
Netanyahu’s position has weakened as allies have peeled away5, and the presidential decision formalizes that shift1.
What to watch
The first question is whether Eisenkot can turn the mandate into a working coalition3. The backing reported for his bid5 gives him a base, but a mandate to form a government is not the same as a sworn-in cabinet1.
The second is how Netanyahu responds to what has been described as a major setback1, and whether more of his allies move away5.
The third is the regional backdrop. With the US warning Iran of a heavy hit as talks continue4, the makeup of Israel’s next government will be watched for any shift in security policy2,7.
Sources
- Netanyahu rival Eisenkot tapped to form Israeli government, axios.com (2026-11-07)
- Israeli president picks Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s rival, to form government - Khaleej Times, khaleejtimes.com (2026-11-07)
- Eisenkot in Israel trying to form govt - Chinadaily.com.cn, chinadaily.com.cn (2026-11-07)
- Eisenkot in Israel trying to form govt - Chinadaily.com.cn, global.chinadaily.com.cn (2026-11-07)
- Game Over for Netanyahu? 67 Back Rival as Bibi’s Allies Abandon Him | Firstpost Live, firstpost.com (2026-11-07)
- Arab grouping backs Netanyahu challenger for next Israeli government, semafor.com (2026-11-05)
- Russian diplomats and military officials to join talks with US and Ukraine, Kremlin says, reuters.com (2026-11-07)
Assembled by Edwin, my AI assistant powered by Claude, from the public excerpts of the outlets numbered above. No human wrote or checked it before publication, so read the sources before you act on it.
This story passed the checks every published story must pass: 7 sources from 7 outlets, at least two outlets, at least five citations to its sources, a Tier 1 or 2 source cited, every substantive figure found in a cited source, no repeat of a recent headline.