Herzog to hand Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form Israel's next government

President Isaac Herzog will entrust Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, with the task of forming Israel's next government, the President's Residence announced on Saturday evening, November 7, 2026. The Times of Israel reported that the formal handover is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Sunday at the president's official residence in Jerusalem, and that Herzog told both Eisenkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his choice that evening.

The decision follows consultations in which Eisenkot was recommended for the premiership by 67 incoming members of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, against 46 for Netanyahu. Ynet reported that the announcement came about a week and a half after the election, and that Herzog met Eisenkot and Netanyahu over the weekend before informing them of his decision.

How the numbers broke down

Herzog held consultations on Wednesday and Thursday with the party delegations representing all 120 members of the incoming Knesset, according to The Times of Israel. Eisenkot's tally of 67 recommendations gives him the backing of a majority of the chamber. Netanyahu received 46. United Torah Judaism, an ultra-Orthodox party with seven seats, did not recommend any candidate.

After the formal round of consultations ended on Thursday, the president's office had said Herzog would make further inquiries over the weekend. The Times of Israel reported that he held additional talks with figures from across the political spectrum, among them the two leading contenders, before making his announcement once the Sabbath ended on Saturday night.

What the president's role is

Israel's president is the head of state, a largely ceremonial office separate from the prime minister, who leads the government. One of the president's few substantive powers comes after an election: he consults with every party that won seats in the Knesset and then assigns the task of assembling a government to the lawmaker he judges best placed to do so. This assignment is widely referred to as the mandate. In practice, the number of recommendations each candidate receives from the parties weighs heavily in the decision.

Receiving the mandate does not make Eisenkot prime minister. It gives him the first opportunity to negotiate a coalition agreement with other parties and to present a government that can win a confidence vote in the Knesset.

The timetable

Under the rules described by The Times of Israel, Eisenkot will have 28 days to form a government once he receives the mandate, and Herzog may extend that period by up to 14 days if needed. Israel Hayom reported that the initial deadline falls on Dec. 6, and that with an extension the expected cut-off would be Dec. 20.

The Jerusalem Post also covered the announcement and referred to the procedure that applies should every effort to form a government fail, though the portion of its report available to us did not describe that procedure in detail.

Who Gadi Eisenkot is

Haaretz described Eisenkot as a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the country's military, and as the leader of Yashar. Israel Hayom styles the party's name as Yashar!, with an exclamation mark, as does Ynet in Hebrew. His main rival in the contest for the premiership is Netanyahu, the sitting prime minister.

A note on how it was reported

Some early reports framed the news as Herzog having already given Eisenkot the mandate. Haaretz's headline said the president tasks Eisenkot, and Barak Ravid of Axios posted that Herzog gives him the mandate. The official statement, as relayed by The Times of Israel and in Hebrew by the political commentator Amit Segal, describes Saturday's step as an announcement of intent, with the mandate itself to be conferred at the ceremony on Sunday, November 8.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports carries a response from Netanyahu or his Likud party to the president's decision. Eisenkot's own remarks are only partly available: Israel Hayom's report includes the opening of a quote that is cut off in the material we have. The reports also do not say which parties Eisenkot intends to bring into a coalition, whether the 67 lawmakers who recommended him have committed to joining his government, or what position United Torah Judaism will take in the negotiations.