Eisenkot Tries to Form Emergency Government; Talks With Haredim and Replacing Knesset Speaker at Center

In depth

Gadi Eisenkot received the mandate to form the government, and in the Change Bloc they announced they would recommend that the president assign him the first mandate. Bloc leaders said negotiating teams would begin drafting the basic guidelines and coalition agreements, and Eisenkot announced they would work to establish a national emergency government and to elect a new Knesset speaker.

Eisenkot said the bloc leaders are coordinated and that the negotiating teams would formulate shared basic guidelines. According to him, starting Tuesday, Benjamin Netanyahu is a transitional prime minister who enjoys the support of only 46 Knesset members. The bloc plans to replace the Knesset speaker, advance legislation, and cancel laws that he claims endanger democracy.

Negotiations with the Haredim continue, and the bloc is examining how to expand the government with the Haredi factions, while the option of a minority government supported by the Arab parties has been taken off the table. The decision on the candidate for Knesset speaker was postponed to Monday, and according to reports Lapid and Eisenkot are competing for the post, with the odds leaning toward Lapid. Netanyahu attacked the bloc leaders.