Israeli opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot to form governing coalition

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Saturday night that he was giving opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a governing coalition following elections on October 27.

Mr Eisenkot, a former military chief, ran as the main challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading a bloc of parties seeking to oust Israel’s longest-serving premier.

The announcement, which had been expected on Sunday, came shortly after Mr Netanyahu called for a “national unity government” in a video statement and warned against “hastily swearing in a government with terrorist supporters” – an apparent reference to the Arab-led parties.

Mr Netanyahu and his allies have repeatedly portrayed the Arab-led parties as a threat to national security, while Mr Eisenkot has indicated a willingness to partner with them under certain conditions, including calling Hamas a terrorist group that needs to be destroyed.

Mr Eisenkot’s party, Yashar, slammed the prime minister’s video with a statement posted on X and urged members of his party, Likud, to disavow their alliance with “radical parties”, in an apparent reference to the more extreme parties in his religious-nationalist base.

The statement argued that Mr Eisenkot would include only parties and parliament members who support its principles, including recognising Hamas as a terrorist organisation.