Following the elections held on October 27, Israel has entered a decisive stage: President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government, according to Europa Press. The news raises a question that goes beyond the names: who can gather the necessary support, and under what rules?
Why the mandate is not decided by the most-voted party
One detail that may surprise those following politics from abroad is that winning the most votes is not enough to govern. According to the sources, Benjamin Netanyahu, the caretaker prime minister, maintains that his party, Likud, should form the government because it received the most votes. However, the president does not choose based on the ballot results, but on who seems best placed to secure a majority in Parliament.
In Israel, that Parliament is called the Knesset and has 120 members. After the round of consultations, according to the Israeli Presidency cited by Europa Press, 67 members recommended Eisenkot, 46 backed Netanyahu, and seven did not recommend either. With these numbers, Herzog’s decision is explained by parliamentary support, not by the vote count of the largest party.
What having 28 days means
The mandate comes with a deadline. According to the regulations set out in the Basic Law, which serves as the country’s constitution, Eisenkot has 28 days from when he formally received the mandate on Sunday. This period can be extended by another 14 days if the president decides so. If he fails to form a coalition within that time, the mandate could pass to another candidate, a point the sources do not detail.
This timetable explains the urgency of the first steps. As France 24 reported, Eisenkot invited Likud and other forces to join a coalition or national unity government, with the aim of providing stability at a time of security challenges.
What a unity government is and why it is hard to put together
A coalition is an agreement between several parties to combine the seats needed and share ministries and decisions. A unity government goes a step further: it brings together forces that would normally compete with one another, on the argument of facing an emergency or a common problem.
The idea has a clear advantage: it widens the majority. But it also has a cost, because it requires negotiating between very different positions. Netanyahu framed it as a “vital necessity” and said, “I am not ruling anyone out, and no one should rule out others.” Furthermore, according to Europa Press, he assumed that his current far-right partners would take part in that government.
What Eisenkot says
DW Español reported that Eisenkot stated that the days when Israelis felt excluded by their rulers “have to end.” The phrase sums up the message with which he is trying to present himself as an alternative, although the sources do not specify what concrete measures he proposes to achieve this.
For his part, Netanyahu himself, according to the excerpt from Infobae América, called for “enough with the boycott” and proposed talks to form a unity government. Both speeches point to the same need for agreements, but from positions that do not currently coincide.
The essentials
- Herzog tasked Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government after he gathered 67 recommendations from the 120 members of the Knesset.
- Netanyahu, who called for a unity government with himself as prime minister, maintains that Likud should govern because it is the most-voted party.
- The deadline is 28 days, extendable by another 14, according to the Basic Law cited by the sources.
- Eisenkot has invited Likud and other forces to a coalition or unity government.
- The outcome will depend on whether agreements can be reached between blocs with very different positions.
Santé Press Contribution
Reading keys
- In parliamentary systems, power is measured by support in Parliament, not only by votes. That explains why the most-voted party does not always govern.
- A “unity government” can be read as a response to urgency or as a way of widening the majority. Both readings appear in the debate, according to the sources.
What to watch
- Whether the invited parties respond to Eisenkot’s offer and under what conditions.
- Whether the 28-day deadline is extended or the mandate changes hands.
News sources
- Europa Press: Netanyahu se ofrece de nuevo para liderar un "gobierno de unidad" para Israel
- Infobae América: Netanyahu se ofrece de nuevo para liderar un "gobierno de unidad" para Israel
- France 24 (español): ¿Fin de la era Netanyahu? Eisenkot recibe el encargo de formar gobierno
- France 24 (español): Informe desde Jerusalén: Gadi Eisenkot invitó al partido de Netanyahu a formar coalición
- DW Español: Eisenkot invita al partido de Benjamin Netanyahu a formar una coalición de gobierno