In brief
In Israel’s latest election, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot announced plans to form a broad coalition government and use a parliamentary majority to advance reforms such as a state inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack, mandatory service for all Israelis and repeal of Netanyahu‑backed judicial overhaul. He cites a majority of voters against Netanyahu, the 19 seats held by Arab parties, and stresses that the Knesset grants confidence to the government. While the opposition bloc holds 48 seats to Netanyahu’s 53, Eisenkot’s claim is echoed by other outlets but the detail that he may not need to form a government first is reported only by Xinhua.
Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot announced on Saturday that he intends to form the broadest possible government and leverage a parliamentary majority to push key reforms following the recent election.
Eisenkot said the opposition bloc won 48 of 120 seats, 19 of those seats belonging to the Arab‑led Joint List and the Muslim Ra’am party, all of which are strong opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He argued that more than half a million voters rejected Netanyahu’s government, giving the opposition a claim to a parliamentary majority.
He defined the set of reforms he would push: a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack, mandatory service for all Israelis, and the repeal of the judicial overhaul promoted by Netanyahu’s coalition.
In a social media post Xinhua reported that Eisenkot would not necessarily need to form a national government to achieve these aims. Instead, he could mobilize a parliamentary majority, including support from the Arab parties, to secure confidence in the Knesset.
"Let no one mislead: In Israel, it is the parliament that gives its confidence to the government, not the other way around," Eisenkot wrote.
Eisenkot’s pledge is mirrored in a report by the Times of Israel, which notes that he vowed to swiftly exercise the new Knesset’s parliamentary majority. The Times does not mention the possibility of acting without forming a formal government, a detail that appears only in the Xinhua account.
Netanyahu remains in government with 53 seats, but the inclusion of the Arab parties in the opposition coalition provides Eisenkot with a clear numerical advantage for advancing his legislative agenda.
