Knesset swearing-in opens fight over who will govern Israel

The Knesset swearing-in took place on Tuesday as Gadi Eisenkot tries to build a coalition and push Benjamin Netanyahu out of office.

Netanyahu stays on as caretaker prime minister while the parties bargain, and the process could last anywhere from days to months.

Where the race stands at the Knesset swearing-in

President Isaac Herzog asked Eisenkot, a former army chief, to form a government on Sunday. That invitation came after official confirmation of the October 27 election results.

Sixty-seven lawmakers backed Eisenkot for the task, while 46 supported Netanyahu. Eisenkot has 28 days to find a majority, with a possible extension to 42 days.

Yet the numbers are tough. His four-party bloc took 48 seats, and Netanyahu’s bloc took 53, so neither reaches the 61 needed in the 120-seat house.

If Eisenkot fails, however, Netanyahu could get a turn at keeping power. Eisenkot, who founded his Yashar party last year, has not said how he will reach 61.

A first deal on Knesset posts

On Monday, a day before the Knesset swearing-in, opposition leaders named four nominations for major posts. Avigdor Lieberman would run the foreign affairs and defence committee, and Liran Avisar Ben-Horin would head the finance committee.

Opposition leaders picked Matan Kahana of Eisenkot’s party as their speaker candidate, and another party colleague, Roy Folkman, would lead the procedure committee. Lieberman’s backing is crucial, which explains his post.

Lieberman, a former defence minister, has said he will not back any government that relies on Arab support. He has hinted that Eisenkot could peel off some of Netanyahu’s allies instead.

Arab parties and the Knesset swearing-in

Israel’s two Arab-led alliances won an unprecedented 19 seats together after Arab voters turned out in greater numbers. The United Arab List holds eight seats, and the Joint List holds 11.

Meanwhile, the United Arab List says it would join a coalition led by Eisenkot. The Joint List has offered to back him from outside the government.

Netanyahu has excluded any deal with them. In addition, three parties in Eisenkot’s bloc also reject their inclusion. Netanyahu has also claimed since election day that Arab citizens stole the vote.

Eisenkot has urged a national emergency government. He said any party or lawmaker ready to take on four principles can join, among them national or civilian service for every community.

That demand creates hurdles. The ultra-Orthodox parties, with 13 seats between them, fiercely resist changing the military exemption for religious students.

A changed house

Forty-seven of the 120 lawmakers are new to the Knesset. Eisenkot’s strong showing helped bring that turnover.

Eisenkot has said the task will “require creative and unconventional political steps”. Foreign policy is unlikely to change much, since most candidates in the opposition back a tough stance on Iran and reject a Palestinian state. Still, Eisenkot has promised to repair Israel’s standing abroad and to examine security failures under Netanyahu. One of his sons died in the Gaza war.

For now, the Knesset swearing-in starts the clock on weeks of talks. Also, the Arab-led parties have real bargaining power.