Israel’s opposition leaders back Eisenkot to oust Netanyahu
Opposition promises to form a government quickly but remains split over whether to ally with Arab-led parties.
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Published On 3 Nov 20263 Nov 2026
Israel’s opposition leaders have agreed to back former military chief Gadi Eisenkot as prime minister, promising to replace Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as quickly as possible.
The five party heads met on Tuesday in the city of Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, in their first joint meeting since the October 27 election, which left neither bloc with a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
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The agreement comes a day before President Isaac Herzog begins consultations with parties on who should form the next government.
But the bloc remains divided over whether to ally with Arab-led parties, whose support could prove decisive.
‘National emergency government’
In a joint statement, the leaders said all their parties would recommend Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, to Herzog, and that negotiating teams would immediately begin drafting policy guidelines and coalition agreements.
“The party leaders are coordinated and will act immediately to replace the ‘Oct. 7 government’ with a national emergency government,” the statement said.
The meeting brought together Eisenkot, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman, Yair Golan of the Democrats, and Yair Lapid, who heads the Yesh Atid party, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The leaders stood by four principles set out by Eisenkot, including that all parties in government recognise Israel as a Jewish state and label Hamas a terrorist group, conditions that could exclude some Arab-led parties.
“We don’t have time – we must act with great urgency,” Bennett, whose party came third, told reporters.
Netanyahu seeks ‘broad national government’
On Monday, Netanyahu called for a “broad national government” under his leadership, saying his Likud party, with 27 seats, remained the largest. No opposition leader has expressed openness to joining him.
He has ruled out a coalition with Arab-majority lists, alleging they “support terrorism and deny the existence of the Jewish state”.
Netanyahu, 76, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is on trial on corruption charges and is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave since Israel began its war in October 2023.
Herzog will hold consultations on Wednesday and Thursday. Eisenkot could receive the most recommendations if he secures the backing of Arab lawmakers.