Gadi Eisenkot announces key Knesset appointments with opposition partners (Img: X)
New Delhi: After Israeli President Isaac Herzog invited him to form a government, former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot reached an agreement with the opposition on appointments to key positions in the 26th Knesset. He has also named former minister Matan Kahana as their candidate for Speaker.
Gadi spoke to Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Lapid to form Israel's next government and replace outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a post on X, Eisenkot informed about the understanding with the leaders of the “change and reform parties" on selecting the candidates for key positions during the government formation.
סיכמתי עם שותפיי ראשי מפלגות השינוי והתיקון - נפתלי בנט, יאיר גולן, אביגדור ליברמן ויאיר לפיד, על המועמדים המיועדים לתפקידי המפתח בכנסת ה-26 בתקופת המנדט להרכבת הממשלה.
במסגרת ההסכמות, סיכמנו על המועמדים לתפקידים הבאים:
* יו״ר הכנסת - השר לשעבר וח״כ המיועד מתן כהנא
* יו״ר הוועדה המסדרת - ח״כ המיועד רועי פולקמן
* יו״ר ועדת החוץ והביטחון - שר הביטחון לשעבר, ח״כ אביגדור ליברמן
* יו״ר ועדת הכספים - ח״כ המיועדת לירן אבישר בן חוריןהרכבי הוועדות יידונו ויגובשו במסגרת דיוני הוועדה המסדרת במהלך השבוע, ויובאו לאישור מליאת הכנסת ביום רביעי הקרוב.
בנוסף, הסכמנו באשר להקמת הוועדות המיוחדות, ופרטיהן יפורסמו בנפרד בהמשך.
— Gadi Eisenkot - גדי איזנקוט (@gadi_eisenkot) November 10, 2026
On November 8, Eisenkot was given the first opportunity to form the next government after outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to get a majority in recent polls. In the October 27 elections, neither Netanyahu's coalition nor Eisenkot’s bloc got a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
Under the agreement, Matan Kahana has been named as Knesset Speaker candidate. Roy Folkman has been proposed as chair of the House Committee. Former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman is to lead the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.
Liran Avisar Ben-Horrin has been proposed as chair of the Finance Committee.
Eisenkot said that the decision was taken after an agreement reached between him and his Opposition partners.
He also said that during the House Committee’s deliberations this week, the composition of the Knesset committees would be finalised.
“The composition of the committees will be discussed and finalised in the House Committee’s deliberations during the week and submitted for approval by the Knesset plenum next Wednesday," he wrote on X.
Former prime minister Yair Lapid also confirmed his meeting with Eisenkot in a post on X. He said they discussed the formation of a national emergency government as soon as possible.
נפגשתי לפני זמן קצר עם יו״ר מפלגת ישר! גדי איזנקוט. עסקנו בתיאום מהלכים לכנסת ה-26 ובמחויבות להקמת ממשלת חירום לאומית בהקדם האפשרי
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) November 10, 2026
President Herzog’s office said lawmakers representing 67 seats recommended Eisenkot to form the government, compared with 46 backing Netanyahu. Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension. However, his four-party bloc holds only 48 seats in the 120-member Knesset, falling short of the 61 required for a majority.
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Netanyahu’s Likud secured 27 seats, while his wider religious-nationalist alliance holds 53. Eisenkot will therefore need support from parties outside the two main camps. On November 8, he pledged to pursue a broad government, saying, “We must form a national emergency government. This will require creative and unconventional political steps."
