Eisenkot Proposes Minority Cabinet Plan While Rivals Demand Zionist Majority

Gadi Eisenkot has put forward a plan to lead a minority government in Israel if the anti-Netanyahu bloc wins 58 or 59 seats in the upcoming elections. The former defense minister intends to be the bloc's lead candidate for forming the next cabinet. He rejects any arrangement that includes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including a rotation deal. Eisenkot’s proposal relies on winning a confidence vote to take office without a permanent guarantee of 61 parliamentary seats.

Current polling indicates the change-seeking camp likely holds more seats than the outgoing coalition. However, the Zionist parties aligned against Netanyahu do not currently command the 61 seats required for a stable majority under existing agreements. Netanyahu’s bloc also lacks a clear majority in most surveys, though some polls show the right-wing camp with enough support. A small shift in votes could determine whether Israel forms a new government or faces another election.

The legal framework allows a government to be sworn in with a majority vote, meaning abstentions can permit a minority cabinet to take office. This differs from a constructive vote of no confidence, which requires 61 MKs to support an alternative government. Therefore, while a minority setup could facilitate forming a new cabinet, it would not allow the opposition to remove a sitting Netanyahu government by simple majority. Eisenkot has not excluded support from the Ra'am party, but no formal agreement exists for this cooperation.

Avigdor Liberman and Naftali Bennett oppose Eisenkot’s minority model. Liberman insists on a Zionist majority from the start and categorically rejects a minority or transitional government. He considers a unity deal with Netanyahu unacceptable and states another election is preferable to a cabinet that fails to meet his conditions. Liberman has suggested pulling Likud MKs into a government without Netanyahu, claiming some are willing, though he has not named specific individuals or announced public talks. Bennett and Yair Lapid, who lead the Beyachad list, also demand a Zionist government and refuse to rely on Arab party votes or abstentions.

A meeting between Eisenkot and Liberman this week ended with a joint call to increase voter turnout but left their strategic disagreement unresolved. Leadership rivalry persists, with Eisenkot aiming to head the largest party and Bennett viewing himself as the natural candidate due to his previous tenure as prime minister. Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats, has not ruled out cooperating with Ra'am.

The opposition bloc is also nearing an agreement to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana before finalizing any coalition deal. This move would give Netanyahu’s opponents control of the parliamentary agenda, even if he remains head of a caretaker government. The speaker is elected early in a new Knesset term in a public vote. The bloc could assemble a majority behind a candidate using votes from Arab party MKs. Candidates mentioned include Chili Tropper, Matan Kahana, and Elazar Stern from Eisenkot’s list, Meirav Ben-Ari and Eitan Ginzburg from the Bennett-Lapid list, Efrat Rayten of the Democrats, and attorney Oded Forer of Yisrael Beytenu.

Liberman estimated that up to one-third of outgoing coalition MKs might vote against Ohana, provided they do so openly. The bloc also plans to advance a state commission of inquiry into October 7, changes to conscription law, limits on the prime minister’s tenure, and the repeal of certain judicial changes from the outgoing government. Liberman additionally seeks to bar individuals facing criminal charges from serving as prime minister. No binding agreement exists on the order of these legislative priorities, and not every bloc member supports every judicial change.