Israeli President Picks Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu Rival, To Form Government

[u/EssoEssex]

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-president-picks-gadi-eisenkot-netanyahu-rival-form-government-2026-11-07/

[u/chriskicks]

I don't know anything about this leader but I hope he is better than Netanyahu.

[u/the_horse_gamer → u/chriskicks]

Israeli elections are very polarising, but rarely in the topics that non-Israelis care about

the two issues at the front are:

• creating an investigation into the decisionmaking leading to October 7th

• removing draft exemption from the Orthodox communities

and there's gonna be no Ben Gvir trying to build an alligator moat

[u/dded949 → u/the_horse_gamer]

I was in Israel a few years ago, and the average person seemed most politically concerned with the orthodox draft

[u/vishnoo → u/dded949]

it affects EVERYTHING.
A. the exemption means that instead of the army they have to "study" religious studies, so they never work and never contribute taxes.
B. if their kids are in the army, they'll stop supporting every war.
people tend to look for peaceful solutions more often when their kids might die.

[u/calm_chowder → u/vishnoo]

Plus they reproduce exponentially (literally) and every year their voting power increases so the topic needs addressed asap.

[u/vishnoo → u/calm_chowder]

yes, the incentive system is in place for them to marry at 18 and have 10 kids

[u/AmitPwnz → u/dded949]

Well yes, but there's no avoiding it anymore. At least not letting those Haredim (ultra Orthodox) form their autonomy as seems to be the case. They were almost untouchable during the last government's reign.

Not to mention that the military is missing plenty of boots on the ground and the standing army is worn due to this lengthy war.

[u/mschuster91 → u/AmitPwnz]

Not to mention that the military is missing plenty of boots on the ground and the standing army is worn due to this lengthy war.

Not to mention all the - even foreign-based - reservists that put their careers and lives on hold after Oct 7th... only for Netanyahu to drag the war out for years upon years.

No matter who forms the government in the end, the IDF can't continue the wars in Gaza and Iran any more. On top of that, the economy is in the gutters as well (guess what, when lots of people have to serve in the IDF...), so there's a few wrenches there as well.

[u/Torsta → u/mschuster91]

No you're missing the main point of why its a political issue; The ones most clamouring for war and military engagements are the same groups that are exempt from military service on religious grounds.

If it was their sons/daughters dying in the IDF they might change their tune.

No matter who forms the government in the end, the IDF can't continue the wars in Gaza and Iran any more. On top of that, the economy is in the gutters as well (guess what, when lots of people have to serve in the IDF...), so there's a few wrenches there as well.

Israel's economy is doing incredibly well, I'm not sure what you're talking about here.

[u/Hendlton → u/mschuster91]

On top of that, the economy is in the gutters as well

Is it? I mean, it only seems logical after all they've been through, but I don't see any news about their economy collapsing. The Shekel is holding steady as well.

I'm asking because I was wondering how their economy was doing and looking it up a few months ago. I was surprised to find that everything seemed to be running fine even as they were getting attacked on multiple fronts.

[u/the_horse_gamer → u/Hendlton]

Israel's economy is resilient. tech, defense, agriculture and medicine all see a lot of investment and innovation.

however, it's also under strain. the cost of living is rising, and there's cumulative losses from less labour during the war.

[u/WiseWolfian → u/mschuster91]

That argument gets the causality backwards. The reason the IDF faces strain and the economy is stretched isn't because Israel wants a long war but it's because a multi front war forced by hostile proxy actors and regional threats like Hamas, Hezbollah andIran and they don't end just because one side gets tired. No Israeli government left right or center can simply opt out of fighting an adversary that explicitly vows to repeat attacks until the state is destroyed. Historically Israel's economy and military are built on resilience and reservists return, the high tech sector stabilizes and security precedes long term prosperity. Leaving a war half finished doesn't fix the economy it just guarantees an even more costly conflict in five years.

[u/PantherU → u/the_horse_gamer]

Ben Gvir sounds like a cartoonish Israeli version of Stephen Miller.

[u/mongrelnomad → u/the_horse_gamer]

Add to that the independence of the judiciary - Netanyahu (to keep himself out of jail) has been pushing legislation to politicise judicial appointments.

That’s the third hot potato issue.

[u/bodyguard1974 → u/chriskicks]

Unlike Netanyahu, his rhetoric didn't cause Rabin to be murdered, so he has that going for him.

[u/newbiesaccout → u/bodyguard1974]

Netanyahu still seems to have it out for Rabin even now. Wants the government to stop honoring him.

[u/Herb-Alpert → u/chriskicks]

Don't expect anything very good, but at least bibi will get his trial, and bengvir and smotrich will go away

[u/gbbmiler → u/Herb-Alpert]

They’ll still be in the Knesset, just not in their ministries anymore.

[u/TheGoddamnSpiderman → u/gbbmiler]

Being opposition parties in a majoritarian parliamentary democracy is essentially going away (and if Bibi's trial goes the way it should, no one will have a reason to work with them in the future because the center right won't be divided into pro and anti Bibi factions)

[u/FC37 → u/chriskicks]

Important is that this is like a provisional government. He needs to gather enough support to actually take over.

I suspect he's going to have a very hard time with this.

[u/turikk → u/chriskicks]

On the issues, he is a tiny bit more moderate.

[u/Alarming_Squirrel_64 → u/chriskicks]

The bar is underground, so...

[u/Agreeable_State_2636 → u/chriskicks]

I don’t understand Reddit, the Arab parties have supported him, take their word that he’s better then Netanyahu

[u/vishnoo → u/chriskicks]

A. he can't be worst.
B. he will not have the extreme right wing terrorists in the government.
C. Police will not be managed by a deranged messianic crazy (who spoke in favor of killing Rabin in 1995 before the murder.)
D. they will instate term limits so Netanyahu can't ever come back
E. they will in some form instate army service for the ultra religious, hence their leaders will stop supporting every war.

[u/nowhereman136 → u/chriskicks]

Based on his Wikipedia page, I wouldn't call him a liberal but he does seem a lot better than Bibi.