Gadi Eisenkot receives mandate to form Israeli government amid Change Bloc disputes

Israeli President Isaac Herzog tasked Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government after 67 MKs recommended him. Internal disagreements persist over coalition structure, with Avigdor Lieberman opposing a minority government and Eisenkot considering options.

The leaders of the parties in the Change Bloc, headed by Gadi Eisenkot, continue their contacts to form a government, while developing a phased scenario: in the first stage, establishing a government with a limited composition based on existing agreements, and later approaching the right-wing bloc parties to join a broad unity government. Yesterday, Eisenkot met with Naftali Bennett, and today a meeting is expected with Avigdor Lieberman. The rationale is to change the balance of power in negotiations: to form a government with control of power centers in the hands of the bloc, and then negotiate from a stronger position with the right. The discussions also include a psychological aspect – to demonstrate to the public that a different government can be formed and to remove Netanyahu from the Prime Minister's office.