Gadi Eisenkot secured 67 Knesset recommendations, positioning him ahead of incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu, who garnered only 46 endorsements. Following the tally, the Yashar party called on President Isaac Herzog to swiftly grant Eisenkot the mandate, arguing Netanyahu operates as a minority caretaker lacking public trust. While acknowledging the definitive count, Herzog announced he will deliberate further and engage in additional talks with party leaders before officially issuing the mandate on Sunday.
Key points
President Isaac Herzog plans to deliberate further and confer with party leaders before i…: President Isaac Herzog plans to deliberate further and confer with party leaders before issuing the mandate on Sunday.
The Yashar party has publicly asserted that Benjamin Netanyahu lacks the mandate, majorit…: The Yashar party has publicly asserted that Benjamin Netanyahu lacks the mandate, majority, and public trust to govern.
Holding 67 recommendations places Eisenkot in prime position to be officially tasked with…: Holding 67 recommendations places Eisenkot in prime position to be officially tasked with forming Israel's government.
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Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot has received the backing of a majority of Knesset members to be prime minister, possibly granting him the mandate to attempt to form the next government.
Eisenkot received 67 recommendations compared with 46 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Yashar party urged Israeli president Isaac Herzog on Thursday to hand Eisenkot the mandate to form the next government "as soon as possible", adding that its the largest number of recommendations given to a candidate for forming a government since 2015.
"Benjamin Netanyahu is a caretaker prime minister leading a minority of just 46 seats," the party said. "He has no mandate, no majority and no public trust."
While Herzog expressed that the result was "clear", he indicated that he would hold further talks with party leaders to clarify the situation before assigning the mandate to form a government on Sunday.
Troops entered the town of Biddu northwest of Jerusalem without advance warning, deploying tear gas and stun grenades to evict residents before razing their homes. The operations targeted twelve apartments in Area C, leaving families without shelter or the chance to salvage their personal belongings. Palestinian officials condemned the raid, warning that escalating demolitions and land clearances are systematically undermining the Palestinian presence surrounding Jerusalem.
Mounting congressional backlash has placed the Pentagon's leadership under intense scrutiny following midterm election defeats tied to military operations abroad. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is rejecting calls to step down as lawmakers prepare impeachment articles and sweeping committee inquiries. This escalating political standoff threatens to derail the administration's $1.5 trillion defense spending package.
High-level diplomatic outreach intensified at the White House as both warring nations engaged on humanitarian efforts to set the stage for broader regional stability talks. The diplomatic push aims to expand a localized ceasefire into an enduring peace framework, with major international negotiations scheduled to restart in the Middle East next week.