Eisenkot targets 58 seats for new cabinet

Gadi Eisenkot is pushing to form the next Israeli government with as few as 58 seats. This plan allows him to lead a cabinet even if his camp falls short of the 61 seats required for a traditional stable majority. The proposal has split his own opposition bloc, as two other prominent leaders reject the idea of governing without full parliamentary support.

Eisenkot wants to be the prime candidate to form the government after the upcoming elections. He has stated that he will not serve under Benjamin Netanyahu, even in a rotation deal. His strategy relies on winning a confidence vote with 58 or 59 seats, which is legally sufficient to swear in a government if enough members abstain or support the vote.

Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman oppose this minority path. Both leaders demand a Zionist majority of 61 seats from the start. They refuse to rely on the votes or abstentions of Arab parties to keep the government in power. Liberman said he would rather face another election than accept a government that does not meet his conditions for a stable Zionist base.

Liberman also rejected the idea of a unity government with Netanyahu. He suggested that some Likud members of Knesset might join a government without Netanyahu at the helm, but he has not named specific allies or confirmed ongoing talks. Bennett and Yair Lapid, who head the Beyachdad list, share the view that the government must be Zionist and independent of Arab party support.

The opposition parties are also negotiating to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana before any coalition is finalized. This move would give Netanyahu's opponents control of the parliamentary agenda if he remains as head of a caretaker government. The speaker is elected by a public vote early in the Knesset term, and the bloc could use support from Arab parties to pass this change.

Several names have been raised as potential speakers, including Chili Tropper, Matan Kahana, Elazar Stern, Meirav Ben-Ari, Eitan Ginzburg, Efrat Rayten, and Oded Forer. No consensus candidate has been announced yet. Liberman estimated that up to one-third of the outgoing coalition members might vote against Ohana, though they would need to do so openly.

The bloc aims to advance several legislative goals, including a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7. They also want to change conscription laws, limit the prime minister's tenure, and repeal parts of the outgoing government's judicial reforms. Liberman specifically seeks a bar on serving as prime minister while facing criminal charges.

No binding agreement exists on the order or details of these legislative changes. Party teams have begun coordinating, but obstacles remain. Not every member of the bloc supports every judicial change, and a new speaker does not guarantee a legislative majority. The memory of the previous Bennett-Lapid government, which collapsed before finishing its promised laws, continues to influence these negotiations.