Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked former military chief Gadi Eisenkot with forming a new government, setting off a complex coalition battle that could determine whether Benjamin Netanyahu remains prime minister.
Eisenkot received the mandate on Sunday and has 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to assemble a coalition that can win a confidence vote in the 120-seat Knesset.
The Oct. 27 election left no party with a majority; Netanyahu, who has been accused of ignoring warnings before the Oct. 7 attacks, leads a bloc with 53 seats, while the four Jewish-led parties backing Eisenkot hold 48, and the two Arab-led parties control 19 seats.
Eisenkot's most viable path to a majority would be to include the Arab-led Joint List and Ra'am, but several of his allies oppose such a partnership, and the ultra-Orthodox bloc, which could provide 13 seats, conflicts with his call for universal national service.
If Eisenkot fails to form a government within the allotted time, President Herzog may task another lawmaker; if no candidate succeeds, the Knesset will be dissolved, triggering new elections within 90 days.