Bennet Party Names Eisenkot as Prime Ministerial Candidate

Naftali Bennett’s B’Yachad party announced on Sunday that it will recommend Gadi Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog as the candidate to form the next government. This recommendation places Eisenkot, the leader of the Yashar party, as the primary contender for the role following the recent election.

The decision arrives as political leaders from both sides of the aisle prepare for formal consultations scheduled to begin Wednesday at the President’s Residence. Neither bloc secured the 61 seats required for a Knesset majority in Tuesday’s election, creating a stalemate that requires cross-party cooperation to resolve.

B’Yachad stated that Bennett respected the voters’ decision by supporting the leader of the largest opposition party. The party confirmed that Bennett personally informed Eisenkot of the recommendation. Previously, Eisenkot had called for the leader of the largest opposition party to become the candidate, but no formal agreement was reached within the bloc until this announcement.

Eisenkot’s Yashar party won 21 seats, making it the largest faction in the opposition bloc, which holds 48 seats in total. Netanyahu’s Likud party secured 27 seats, giving his bloc 53 seats. The Arab parties, Ra’am and the Joint List, won a combined 19 seats, a record high for these factions.

With the 19 seats from the Arab parties added to the 48 opposition seats, Eisenkot has the theoretical support of 67 members. This number exceeds the 61-seat majority needed for the President to grant a mandate. A senior Joint List official told Walla that the Joint List and Ra’am are expected to recommend Eisenkot during the consultations.

Opposition leaders have engaged in intensive private meetings to solidify this coalition. Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beytenu met with Eisenkot on Saturday evening and with Yair Lapid on Sunday. Yair Golan of the Democrats spoke with Joint List leaders Yousef Jabareen and Ahmad Tibi on Sunday, agreeing to meet later this week to discuss cooperation. Golan has called for a coalition with the Arab parties, a stance that contrasts with previous red lines drawn by other opposition leaders.

Herzog urged political leaders to accept the election results and show flexibility to avoid another election. The new Knesset is set to be sworn in on November 10. If Eisenkot receives the mandate, he will have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to form a government. Opposition leaders also plan to move to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, which would require 61 votes and is achievable with Arab party support.

Haredi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism also met on Sunday to discuss their next steps. Rabbi Moshe Maya of Shas said there is no reason to rule out negotiations with Eisenkot. United Torah Judaism chairman Yaakov Asher convened with party members to discuss recommendations, though no official statement was released on who they would support.