Israel’s president designated opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot as prime minister

Israeli President Isaac Herzog gave Gadi Eisenkot the first chance on Saturday evening to form a governing coalition following the legislative elections held on October 27. The decision was made after consultations held this week with representatives of Israel’s main political parties.

Neither Eisenkot, a former army chief, nor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured the majority needed to form a government. However, most of the parties consulted by the president backed the opposition candidate.

Herzog’s announcement came shortly after Netanyahu called for the formation of a “national unity government.” The prime minister warned of the risk of the “hasty swearing-in of a government alongside supporters of terrorists,” apparently referring to the Arab parties.

Eisenkot said he was willing to cooperate with these parties under certain conditions. Among other demands, he is calling for Hamas to be recognized as a terrorist organization that must be destroyed. His party, Yashar, urged Likud members to abandon their alliance with the radical parties in Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist camp.