Former Israel Defence Forces chief and Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as the clear frontrunner to receive the mandate to form Israel’s next government after securing backing from 67 members of the 120-seat Knesset, comfortably above the 61-seat majority required.

The breakthrough came following consultations with President Isaac Herzog, with the Arab-led Joint List unanimously deciding to recommend Eisenkot. Its support added 11 seats to his existing backing, significantly widening the gap between him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Eisenkot’s endorsements comprise the 48-seat Jewish opposition bloc, including Yashar, Together, The Democrats and Yisrael Beiteinu, alongside the eight-seat Ra’am party and the 11-seat Joint List. Netanyahu, by contrast, received endorsements from 46 lawmakers after the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party declined to support any candidate.

UTJ’s decision represents one of the most significant cracks in Netanyahu’s traditional political alliance network in recent years. The seven-seat party chose to withhold its endorsement after growing dissatisfaction over Netanyahu’s failure to advance legislation that would formally protect military service exemptions for yeshiva students.

Party representatives informed President Herzog that any future support would remain conditional upon guarantees regarding those exemptions. Directives from the spiritual leadership of both Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael, the two factions that make up UTJ, played a central role in the decision.

Although Eisenkot’s 67 recommendations place him in a strong position to receive the President’s mandate, the endorsements do not automatically translate into a governing coalition. Several of the parties recommending him have made clear that supporting his candidacy to form a government does not necessarily mean they will join that government.

The Joint List stated that its decision reflected a strong public desire to prevent Netanyahu and his allies from returning to power. At the same time, it stressed that substantial policy disagreements remain between itself and elements of the Jewish opposition.

The party indicated it has no intention of formally joining an Eisenkot-led coalition but could consider providing outside parliamentary support if doing so helped bring about political change.

Explaining its position, the Joint List stated: “Although Eisenkot has received more recommendations than Netanyahu, we believe it is important to widen the gap between them.”

The party argued that expanding Eisenkot’s lead could improve the prospects of replacing the current political leadership while reducing the likelihood of a unity arrangement that would allow Netanyahu to remain in office.

As coalition negotiations begin, discussion has already turned to potential alternative governing models. Rabbi Moshe Maya, a senior member of Shas’s Council of Torah Sages, urged Eisenkot to consider a rotation premiership with Netanyahu rather than relying on support from left-wing and Arab parties.

“The only solution is a unity government, and this is Eisenkot’s real moment of truth,” Maya said.

He argued that a partnership between Likud and Yashar would control 48 seats and could be supplemented by Shas, UTJ and Religious Zionism, together producing a parliamentary majority.

The proposal comes after a disappointing election result for Shas, which dropped from 11 seats to six, its weakest showing since 1992. Despite the setback, the party officially recommended Netanyahu for prime minister during consultations with President Herzog.

Maya blamed the decline on waning support among traditional voters, arguing that public debate surrounding the exemption of ultra-Orthodox men from military service had damaged the party electorally.

“Many people who had voted for Shas in the past bought the media’s poisonous messages against yeshiva students,” he said, adding that some traditional right-wing voters instead backed Likud.

Separately, opposition parties are preparing for another institutional contest when Israel’s newly elected 26th Knesset convenes. Opposition lawmakers are attempting to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana during the parliament’s inaugural sitting on 10 November.

Yisrael Beiteinu and The Democrats have formally requested that a vote on a new speaker be placed on the agenda. Ohana has responded that he would allow an early discussion if at least 61 lawmakers formally demand it.

The developing struggle over the speakership reflects the broader political realignment now under way following the 27 October election.

With consultations drawing to a close, President Herzog is widely expected to grant Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a government, though significant coalition-building challenges remain before any new administration can be sworn in.

ANI