Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot says he has reached an agreement with other opposition leaders.
The deal names people for key posts in Israel's new parliament, the Knesset.
Eisenkot posted about the agreement on X on Tuesday.
The other leaders are Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Lapid.
Eisenkot leads the Yashar party. On Sunday, President Isaac Herzog gave him the first chance to form the next government.
Why does this matter? The October 27 election did not give any side a clear majority.
The Knesset has 120 seats, and 61 are needed to govern.
Key points
- Matan Kahana, a former minister, is the opposition's candidate for Knesset speaker.
- Roy Folkman will chair the House Committee.
- Avigdor Lieberman, a former defence minister, will chair the foreign affairs and defence committee.
- Eisenkot's bloc has 48 seats, but it needs 61 to govern.
Who gets the key posts in the new Knesset?
Matan Kahana is a former minister. Like Eisenkot, he is a former senior military figure.
Liran Avisar Ben-Horrin will chair the finance committee. These names are still to be approved by the full parliament.
Netanyahu's wider bloc has 53 seats. His Likud party won 27, the most of any single party.
So can Eisenkot actually form a government?
Getting the mandate does not guarantee that Eisenkot becomes prime minister.
He needs support from parties outside the two main camps.
Arab-Israeli lawmakers hold 19 seats. Two ultra-Orthodox parties hold 13 seats.
seats
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
Lieberman has said he would not let Eisenkot rely on Arab-Israeli lawmakers to come to power.
Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government. Herzog can extend that by up to 14 days.
What happens next in parliament?
The new parliament is sworn in on Tuesday, and Herzog will give a speech. Committee lineups will be discussed this week.
They will go to a vote in the full Knesset next Wednesday. Details of the special committees will be published later.
The opposition also wants a commission to investigate security failures before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
That attack was the deadliest day in Israel's history.
Sources
- Hindustan Times: Eisenkot reaches agreement with Opposition leaders on Israel’s Knesset posts, names Matan Kahana as speaker
- Times Now: Eisenkot Reaches Deal With Opposition Leaders On Knesset Posts, Names Matan Kahana As Speaker
- The New Indian Express: New Israel parliament to be sworn in today; Eisenkot reaches agreement with Oppn leaders on Knesset posts
