Amid Israel Deadlock, Netanyahu Opponents Agree On Key Parliament Posts

Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot has reached an agreement with four opposition leaders on key positions in the country's parliament as he tries to form the next government and replace Benjamin Netanyahu.

The agreement was reached with Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Lapid. The leaders have named former minister Matan Kahana as their candidate for Speaker of the Knesset.

On Tuesday, he vowed to form a government quickly to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the new parliament prepared to be sworn in.

Speaking to reporters ahead of being sworn in as a member of the parliament, he said, "I am committed in this complex situation to form a national-emergency government as quickly as possible."

Eisenkot announced the agreement on X, saying the leaders had agreed on candidates for important posts in the 26th Knesset.

"I have reached an agreement with my partners, the leaders of the change and reform parties-Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Lapid-on the prospective candidates for key positions in the 26th Knesset during the period for forming a government," Eisenkot posted on X.

Who Will Get The Key Positions?

The agreement also names candidates for three important parliamentary committees.

Roy Folkman has been proposed as the chair of the House Committee. Avigdor Lieberman, a former defence minister, will head the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, while Liran Avisar Ben-Horrin has been named as the candidate for the Finance Committee.

The leaders will discuss the composition of the committees this week. Their final list will be sent to the Knesset for approval next Wednesday.

Eisenkot also said they had agreed to set up special committees, but their details would be announced later.

"The composition of the committees will be discussed and finalized in the House Committee's deliberations during the week and submitted for approval by the Knesset plenum next Wednesday. In addition, we have agreed on the establishment of the special committees, and details will be published separately at a later date," he posted.

Lapid also confirmed that he had met Eisenkot to discuss their plans for the new parliament.

"I recently met with Yashar! party chairman Gadi Eisenkot. We discussed coordinating efforts for the 26th Knesset and our commitment to forming a national emergency government as soon as possible," he posted on X.

Eisenkot Gets 28 Days To Form Government

President Isaac Herzog gave Eisenkot the first chance to form the next government on November 8.

The decision came after Israel's October 27 election failed to give either Eisenkot's alliance or Netanyahu's bloc enough seats to form a government.

According to Herzog's office, lawmakers representing 67 seats recommended Eisenkot, while those representing 46 seats backed Netanyahu. A party with the remaining seven seats did not recommend either leader. The 67 seats supporting Eisenkot include those held by two Arab-led parties.

Under Israel's Basic Law: The Government, Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government. Herzog can extend the deadline by another 14 days.

However, getting the mandate does not mean Eisenkot is guaranteed to become prime minister.

His four-party alliance, which includes his own Yashar party, has 48 seats in the Knesset. Yashar is the second-largest party with 21 seats.

Netanyahu's Likud has 27 seats, the highest for any single party, while his wider religious-nationalist alliance has 53 seats.

A government needs the support of at least 61 lawmakers in the 120-member Knesset. This means Eisenkot will have to win support from parties outside his existing alliance.

Arab Parties Could Play Key Role

Support from Arab-Israeli lawmakers could help Eisenkot reach the required numbers.

The two Arab-led parties that recommended him have gained a record number of seats. Their performance came amid anger in Israel's Arab minority over Netanyahu's hard-right government.

Eisenkot has said he wants to form a broad government as soon as possible. He has also indicated that he is open to taking unusual political steps to make it happen.

"We must form a national emergency government. This will require creative and unconventional political steps," he said on November 8, according to AFP.

The proposed government will need at least 61 votes in the Knesset to take office. Eisenkot's immediate challenge is to bring together enough parties to cross that number.

Israel's parliament was sworn in on Tuesday without a new government, after a deadlocked general election stripped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his parliamentary majority but left his main rivals with no clear path to power.