Eisenkot pushes 58-seat plan as Bennett and Liberman demand 61

Gadi Eisenkot wants 58 seats. That is the floor he has set for forming the next Israeli government, according to reports from within the anti-Netanyahu camp. He argues that a minority cabinet could be sworn in if the bloc wins between 58 and 59 seats in the upcoming elections. Under his plan, the government would secure a confidence vote without permanent backing from 61 members of the Knesset. It would then work to expand its parliamentary support.

Most polls show the opposition ahead of the outgoing coalition bloc. However, the Zionist parties in that camp currently fall short of the 61 seats typically required to govern. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies also lack a clear majority in many surveys. The final seat distribution could hinge on the electoral threshold and small shifts in voting. A difference of a few votes may determine whether Israel gets a new government or faces another period of political uncertainty.

Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman reject Eisenkot’s approach. Liberman categorically opposes a minority government, even a transitional one. He insists on a Zionist majority from the start and says another election is preferable to a government that fails his conditions. Bennett and Yair Lapid, who lead the Beyachad list, also demand a Zionist government. They refuse to rely on the votes or abstentions of Arab parties. A meeting between Eisenkot and Liberman this week ended with a joint call to raise voter turnout but did not resolve their disagreement.

Eisenkot has not ruled out support from Ra’am, though no agreed formula exists for that arrangement. Liberman has suggested bringing Likud members into a government without Netanyahu, claiming some would be willing, but he has named none. Leadership rivalry continues within the bloc. Eisenkot hopes to head the largest party, while Bennett views himself as a natural candidate due to his experience as prime minister.

The opposition is also moving to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana before any coalition deal is struck. The aim is to control the parliamentary agenda even if Netanyahu remains head of a caretaker government. Names raised for the speakership include 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 represents the Democrats, and attorney Oded Forer represents Yisrael Beytenu. No consensus candidate has been announced.

Liberman estimated this week that up to one-third of outgoing coalition members might vote against Ohana. The bloc also wants to advance a state commission of inquiry into October 7 and changes to conscription law. It seeks limits on the prime minister’s tenure and the repeal of some judicial changes from the outgoing government. No binding agreement exists on the details or order of these measures. The memory of the previous Bennett-Lapid government, which collapsed before completing its agenda, looms over the effort.