JERUSALEM — Israel’s new parliament was sworn in on Tuesday, opening a high-stakes political scramble as opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot presses to oust caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and form a government. The former army chief received more recommendations from Knesset members than Netanyahu, but not all of his backers are willing to govern together — a complication that could stall coalition talks before they begin.
Eisenkot’s bloc of four parties captured 48 seats in October’s election, while Netanyahu’s bloc won 53, leaving both short of a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Eisenkot now has 28 days to assemble a coalition, with a possible two-week extension. Almost half of the new lawmakers did not serve in the previous parliament, and Arab-led parties hold a record number of seats — a shift that reshapes the arithmetic of any deal.
Shortly after the swearing-in, Netanyahu warned parliament against backing a government reliant on Arab parties, asking lawmakers: “Are you prepared to be dependent on those whose goal is the destruction of the Jewish state?” He appealed for a national unity government as the only way to confront what he called the threat of “a nuclear Iran.”
Eisenkot, for his part, cautioned lawmakers about the perils of supporting a government led by the other side, framing the choice as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership. The standoff leaves Israel’s political future uncertain as coalition negotiations begin in earnest.
The coming weeks will test whether Eisenkot can bridge ideological divides among his recommended partners — or whether Israel heads toward another election. For Oregon readers tracking Middle East developments, the outcome will shape Israel’s domestic agenda and its posture toward Iran at a moment of heightened regional tension.
