Eisenkot Seeks Zionist Government Without Netanyahu

Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot stated on Tuesday that he will do "everything possible" to form a Zionist government that represents all citizens equally. He made the declaration to party candidates and supporters three and a half hours after polling stations closed for the national election. Eisenkot argued that the high voter turnout, which is the highest since 1999, signaled a clear rejection of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's continued leadership.

Exit polls conducted at the close of voting suggest that Eisenkot's bloc will secure 52 seats in the Knesset, surpassing the 50 seats projected for Netanyahu's party. The Arab parties are projected to win 18 seats. While neither bloc holds an absolute majority, Eisenkot's coalition would have more seats than the governing side. He did not explicitly rule out seeking support from the Arab parties to reach the threshold needed to govern.

Other opposition leaders mirrored this strategy. Leaders of the Joint List and the Democratic Party, who are polling third and fourth respectively, also avoided explicitly rejecting a government that includes Arab parties during their post-election speeches. Eisenkot addressed Netanyahu directly, calling the election result a popular motion of censure. He urged the Prime Minister to accept this verdict and announce his retirement from political life immediately.

The former army chief of staff cautioned Israel's security establishment against allowing the Prime Minister to use national security for personal political gain. Eisenkot described Netanyahu as a transitional prime minister who lacks both a mandate and public trust. He reminded security officials that they serve the state and the interests of citizens above all else. He pledged his full support to those who remain firm against attempts to challenge their duties.

Eisenkot referenced the threat of a new offensive against Iran, a move Netanyahu hinted at during the campaign but which the United States reportedly opposed. Eisenkot said he would not mention the threat by name but noted that millions of Israelis are tired of a culture of lies, failure, and division. He declared that a new path begins now to form a Zionist government.

The proposed government would include specific policy commitments. Eisenkot cited a law to include ultra-Orthodox Jews in mandatory military service. He also reaffirmed the coalition's commitment to dismantling the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. These points formed the core of his address to the waiting crowd in Jerusalem.