Eisenkot Signals Openness to Netanyahu Joining New Israeli Government
Former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot, appointed by President Herzog to form Israel's next coalition, says he may team up with Netanyahu in a unity government amid ...
POLICY WIRE — Tel Aviv, Israel — President Isaac Herzog named former defense chief Gadi Eisenkot as the official tasked with assembling Israel’s upcoming coalition, bypassing long‑time premier Benjamin Netanyahu.
Eisenkot, who commanded the Israel Defense Forces from 2015 through 2019, also observed the first eight months of Netanyahu’s war cabinet during the Gaza war that erupted in October 2023.
Netanyahu has publicly urged Eisenkot to join an emergency national‑unity government aimed at confronting persisting security threats.
The president announced the decision late Saturday after consulting with parties that secured seats in the October 27 parliamentary election.
Having run as Netanyahu’s chief challenger, Eisenkot now stands a step nearer to potentially unseating the country’s longest‑serving prime minister.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
