NETANYAHU’S RULE HANGS IN THE BALANCE AS RIVAL GETS FIRST SHOT AT POWER
Benjamin Netanyahu could be nearing the end of his latest term as Israel’s prime minister after President Isaac Herzog chose his chief rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, to try to form the next government.
Netanyahu’s bloc lost its parliamentary majority in the October 27 election. It won 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, eight short of the 61 needed for a majority. The result left Israel’s longest-serving prime minister fighting to stay in office.
Eisenkot has the first chance to turn that setback into a change of government, but the numbers are difficult for him, too. His bloc won 48 seats, while Arab-led parties secured 19. Their support could give him a majority, but he has declined to partner with them.
Netanyahu remains prime minister as coalition talks unfold. If Eisenkot secures enough support and a new government is sworn in, Netanyahu’s latest term will end. If Eisenkot falls short, the battle for power remains open.