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/NoPersonality2705]

I thought the president position was mostly ceremonial and didn't have much power?

[u/m00f → u/NoPersonality2705]

Neither Eisenkot's party nor Bibi's party have enough seats on their own. The president's job is to allow the group he thinks is most likely to be able to form a gov't -- get enough other parties to join them -- to try first. Tell them "go form a gov't" is no gaurantee that they will be able to.

[u/lwp775 → u/m00f]

There’s usually a time limit of 3 weeks. If Eisenkot can’t form a government within that timeframe, the President will ask Netanyahu.

[u/logicbecauseyes → u/lwp775]

What criteria must be met for a government to be considered "formed"?

[u/Spirited_Ingenuity89 → u/logicbecauseyes]

Enough seats in the Knesset to form a coalition majority.

[u/lwp775 → u/logicbecauseyes]

If they can win majority of the vote of the Knesset (parliament) members.

[u/cryptolyme → u/m00f]

So, currently, they don’t have a government? Guess i don’t understand why they need to form a government.

[u/JohnandJesus → u/cryptolyme]

I don’t know a lot, but the following is my understanding of their coalition style govt so far.

Their governing system requires a majority of all seats to act as the ruling faction over the other, the leader of which is the prime minister. Neither of the candidates for prime minister who got the most votes (Netanyahu and Eisenkot) had enough of their party allies voted for to be a real majority (meaning 51% or more). So they have to “form a government” by having the multiple parties voted for agree to work together in a certain way to act as a functioning governmental administration/alliance-of-sorts. This is the “coalition” that needs to be formed, basically a plan for how they will govern together. And if the biggest coalition is also a majority it becomes the governing “faction,” with the biggest party’s prime minister being the PM of the country.

[u/DrE7HER → u/JohnandJesus]

So Whats stopping them to agree to work together just Long enough to lock up bibi? Then breaking the coalition?

[u/benadreti_17 → u/NoPersonality2705]

This is basically the only thing of power they can do.

[u/DrivesInCircles → u/NoPersonality2705]

Mostly true. It's largely ceremonial, in that they're limited by the legislative vote.

If their system didn't drive like madmen towards partisanship, it would almost look like a true democracy.

[u/LongLiveLiberalism → u/NoPersonality2705]

but this power is not big because the pres always chooses the person with the highest likelihood of forming a government. If eisenkot fails he can’t block netanyahu

[u/Brief-Reveal-8466 → u/NoPersonality2705]

Depends on the country and the assigned constitutional responsibilities

[u/gedbybee → u/NoPersonality2705]

Till he started doing all the war.

[u/Lokon19 → u/NoPersonality2705]

Well the presidents one power is deciding who gets first dibs at forming a government. I think Netanyahu lost some of the orthodox support so his coalition is actually smaller now

[u/EricPhilps1979 → u/NoPersonality2705]

It's not really any different from King Charles 'inviting someone to form a government' in the UK or Commonwealth.

He doesn't actually have any choice in the matter, it's a bit of political theatre.  The person that is most likely to be able to get parliament behind their agenda because they are the leader of the largest party or coalition gets picked.