Eisenkot Presses 58-Seat Bid

Gadi Eisenkot is moving to secure the leadership of Israel's opposition bloc by targeting a minimum of 58 seats for the next government. He proposes a minority cabinet that would be sworn in after a confidence vote, rather than waiting for the 61 seats typically required for a stable majority. This approach would allow the new administration to begin governing immediately while it works to gain additional support from other parties.

The plan faces immediate resistance from two senior figures in the coalition. Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman both reject the idea of a minority government. Bennett, who heads the Beyachad list alongside Yair Lapid, insists on a Zionist majority from the start. He argues that the government should not rely on the votes or abstentions of Arab parties to maintain its power.

Avigdor Liberman takes a stricter stance. He categorically opposes a minority cabinet, even if it is only a transitional arrangement. Liberman has stated that another election would be preferable to a government that does not meet his conditions. He also rejects a unity government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Despite these objections, Liberman suggested that some Likud MKs might be willing to join a government without Netanyahu, though he has not named specific individuals and no public talks are currently underway.

The legal basis for Eisenkot's proposal rests on a technical distinction in Knesset procedure. Swearing in a new government requires a majority in a confidence vote, not necessarily 61 affirmative votes. This means abstentions could allow a 58-seat government to take office. However, this mechanism does not apply to removing a sitting government via a constructive vote of no confidence, which still requires 61 MKs to support an alternative. Therefore, the minority plan could help form a new government but would not allow the bloc to remove the current administration by simple majority.

Polls indicate the anti-Netanyahu camp is currently ahead of the outgoing coalition, but the Zionist parties seeking change do not yet have the 61 seats needed for a standard majority. Some surveys show Netanyahu's bloc is also short of a majority, while others give the right-wing camp enough seats. The final outcome may depend on the electoral threshold and a small number of votes. Eisenkot has not ruled out support from the Ra'am party, but no agreed formula exists for how such cooperation would work.

In parallel to the government formation debate, opposition parties are nearing an agreement to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. This move is intended to occur before any coalition deal is finalized. The goal is to give Netanyahu's opponents control of the parliamentary agenda, even if he remains head of a caretaker government. The speaker is elected early in a new Knesset's term in a public vote. The bloc could draw on MKs from Arab parties to assemble a majority behind an agreed candidate.

Several names have been raised for the speaker role, including Chili Tropper, Matan Kahana, and Elazar Stern from Eisenkot's list. Meirav Ben-Ari and Eitan Ginzburg are candidates from the Bennett-Lapid list. Efrat Rayten of the Democrats and attorney Oded Forer of Yisrael Beytenu are also in the mix. No consensus candidate has been announced yet. Liberman estimated this week that as many as one-third of outgoing coalition MKs might vote against Ohana, provided they do so openly.

The opposition bloc also aims to advance several legislative priorities. These include a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7, changes to conscription law, limits on the prime minister's tenure, and the repeal of certain judicial changes made by the outgoing government. Liberman additionally seeks a bar on people facing criminal charges serving as prime minister. Party teams have begun coordinating on these issues, though no binding agreement exists on the details or the order of operations. Obstacles remain, as not every member backs every judicial change, and laws aimed at Netanyahu may face constitutional hurdles.

A meeting between Eisenkot and Liberman this week ended with a joint call to raise voter turnout, but it did not settle their disagreement over the path forward. Leadership rivalry continues to shape the coalition's strategy. Eisenkot hopes to head the largest party in the bloc. Bennett views himself as a natural candidate for the role due to his experience as a former prime minister. The memory of the previous Bennett-Lapid government, which collapsed before completing its promised laws, continues to weigh on the effort.