President Isaac Herzog announced yesterday this evening that he would task Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, with the mandate to form the next government. The president’s announcement follows meetings held over the past week with representatives of the Knesset factions, as well as “further inquiries conducted over the weekend.”
Herzog has invited Eisenkot to the President’s Residence for the formal handover of the mandate, scheduled for 5 pm today. In the consultation process at the President’s Residence, factions representing a total of 67 Knesset members expressed their support for Eisenkot, versus 47 who recommended that the mandate should be given to incumbent prime minister Bejamin Netanyahu.
Once officially tasked with the formation of a government, Eisenkot will have 28 days to do so. Under the law, the president can grant an extension of up to 14 additional days.
If Eisenkot fails to form a government, the president can give the mandate to another member of Knesset, which in this case will presumably be Netanyahu. If he does not succeed in the task within 28 days, a majority of the Knesset members can request that the president should assign the task to a specific candidate, who will receive 14 days to form a government. If that effort also fails, then elections for the Knesset must be held within 90 days.
The upshot is that if no-one is able to form a government, which is a likely outcome in the current state of the Knesset where no block has a clear advantage, then Israel will hold another election for the Knesset around June 2027.
Yesterday evening, just before President Herzog was set to decide on whom to task with forming a government, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video calling for the formation of a national unity government. Despite the appeal for unity, Netanyahu used the platform to attack the parties of the “change bloc” led by Eisenkot’s Yashar.
“This is a time for unity,” Netanyahu said in the video. “You know that I called for this during the election campaign, and I have reiterated it since. This is the will of the people, and it is the need of the hour. As early as this coming week, there are those who intend to hastily swear in a government that includes supporters of terrorism-to establish a government in the State of Israel with those who strive to destroy the State of Israel, and who seek to build a Palestinian state upon its ruins.”
The Yashar party responded: “Netanyahu delivered a hysterical speech. The very man who has divided, incited, and sown discord within Israeli society now speaks of ‘unity’-only because he realizes his days in office are numbered. Unity is an important value for Israel, yet Netanyahu has acted systematically and resolutely against it, even during the most difficult war in our history. Netanyahu has formed unity and emergency governments, only to consistently undermine them from within. He has never honored an agreement he signed with political partners.
“The national emergency government that Gadi Eisenkot would form will include only those parties and Knesset members who support the four principles of Yashar, including the recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization and a commitment to the total destruction of its military and governing power.”
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on November 8, 2026.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2026.
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