Bennet Endorses Eisenkot For Mandate

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced on Sunday that his B'Yachad party will recommend Gadi Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog as the candidate to form the next government. This decision comes ahead of the presidential consultations scheduled for Wednesday. Bennett stated that he is respecting the voters' decision from the Tuesday election.

The Knesset is currently in a deadlock. No single side secured the 61 seats required for a majority. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats, while the opposition bloc controls 48. The Arab parties, Ra'am and the Joint List, won a combined total of 19 seats, a record high for these groups.

Eisenkot's Yashar party emerged as the largest faction within the opposition bloc with 21 seats. It finished second in the overall election behind Likud, which won 27 seats. Despite this, no formal agreement was reached among opposition leaders Bennett, Avigdor Liberman, and Yair Golan to designate a candidate until the B'Yachad party made its endorsement public on Sunday.

President Herzog is required by law to consult with Knesset factions before assigning the mandate. A senior Joint List official told Walla on Sunday that the Joint List and Ra'am are expected to support Eisenkot during these talks. If these recommendations are granted, Eisenkot would have 67 potential seats, which is sufficient to receive the mandate.

Negotiations among opposition leaders have intensified in recent days. Liberman met with Eisenkot on Saturday evening, according to the Yashar leader's spokesperson. Eisenkot had previously held separate meetings with Bennett and Golan. Liberman also spoke with Yair Lapid, who is second on Bennett's list, on Sunday.

Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, is coordinating with Arab party leaders. He met with Joint List figures Yousef Jabareen and Ahmad Tibi on Sunday. The three parties agreed to meet this week to discuss cooperation. Golan also met with Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas last week. Golan has argued that the opposition should form a coalition with the Arab parties, a stance that contrasts with the previous red lines drawn by other opposition leaders regarding the October 7 attacks.

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

The new Knesset is expected to be sworn in on November 10. Opposition leaders have reportedly agreed to move to oust Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana immediately after the swearing in. This move would require a majority vote, which could be achieved with the support of the Arab parties. Controlling the speaker's office would give the opposition greater influence over the parliamentary agenda, legislation, and committee appointments.

Herzog warned political leaders on Sunday to accept the election results and show flexibility. He cautioned against political entrenchment that could force the country into another election. Eisenkot, if he receives the mandate, will have 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.