Israeli Change Bloc leaders meet, back Gadi Eisenkot for PM ahead of presidential consultations

Leaders of Israel's Change Bloc met for the first time since the 2026 elections, agreeing to recommend Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister as President Isaac Herzog begins coalition consultations. Disagreements persist over coalition composition and Knesset speaker appointment.

The leaders of the Change Bloc concluded a meeting in Herzliya without an agreement on a candidate for the position of Knesset Speaker. The five bloc leaders agreed to support Gadi Eisenkot as Prime Minister, but the dispute over the identity of the Knesset Speaker remains: Lieberman supports the appointment of Yair Lapid, while Eisenkot himself is interested in the position. It was decided to postpone the decision. Lapid said upon entering that this is a serious attempt to harm the election results and called for removing Netanyahu from the Prime Minister's office. Representatives of the families of the Nova massacre victims called on the bloc leaders to act without delay to replace the government and establish a state commission of inquiry. On the other hand, Lieberman opposes cooperation with Ra'am and the Joint List, while Eisenkot is exploring options for cooperation with the ultra-Orthodox parties. Even within Yashar itself there is no unified position. The headline promises 'all the details on the dramatic meeting', but the body does not provide new details beyond the known disagreement.