Gadi Eisenkot has pledged to resist any attempt to obstruct the swearing-in of Israel’s new parliament, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud of seeking to delegitimize the election results.
His intervention on October 29 shifts attention toward the next parliamentary confrontation: whether parties opposed to Netanyahu can translate their combined strength into coordinated action before resolving their differences over a future government.
Eisenkot prepares for the opening of parliament
Following meetings with the heads of the Shin Bet and the Central Elections Committee, Eisenkot said allegations of foreign interference required a professional investigation without political pressure. He cautioned that it was too early to establish precisely what had happened.
At the same time, he accused Netanyahu of using the controversy to undermine the election result and insisted that the new Knesset should convene as scheduled on November 10.
Eisenkot also outlined preparations for legislation on military service, a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attack and changes to budget priorities. He said these proposals would be brought forward in coordination with his political partners when parliament opens.
The Shin Bet has described its investigation into suspected foreign interference as limited in scope, while election officials have rejected allegations of systematic electoral fraud.
The numbers explain both his opportunity and his problem
The October 29 vote count left Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats, Eisenkot’s bloc with 48, and the Arab-led parties with 19.
Combining the latter two groups produces 67 seats in the 120-member Knesset. But that total describes parties outside Netanyahu’s bloc; it does not establish that all 67 lawmakers support the same government.
For Eisenkot, the arithmetic presents two different challenges. His 48-seat bloc is 13 seats below the 61-seat majority benchmark. Adding all 19 Arab-party seats would take it six above that threshold, but only if the necessary political cooperation could be secured.
Several parties within Eisenkot’s broader camp have previously opposed forming a government dependent on Arab parties, making the theoretical majority difficult to translate into a governing agreement.
The analytical distinction is crucial: a shared objection to Netanyahu continuing in power does not establish agreement on cabinet membership, policy or the terms of parliamentary support.
Parliamentary cooperation could come before a coalition
There are already indications that narrower cooperation may be possible.
Associated Press reported that Joint List politician Ahmad Tibi said the opposition had approached him about replacing the Knesset speaker and that his party would support its candidate.
Such cooperation could affect parliament’s leadership and legislative agenda even before a government agreement is reached.
However, supporting a parliamentary speaker is different from supporting a prime minister. Parties may cooperate on procedural votes while remaining divided over the composition of the next government.
Netanyahu remains prime minister while the process of forming a new government continues.
Israel’s official election results are expected to be published on November 4. President Isaac Herzog will then consult parliamentary factions before assigning a candidate the task of forming a government.
What Votendi is watching next
The next meaningful development will not simply be another declaration of opposition to Netanyahu. It will be a concrete parliamentary commitment.
Three questions will determine whether Eisenkot’s position strengthens:
- Which parties will support an opposition-backed Knesset speaker?
- Can Eisenkot secure enough votes for his proposed legislative agenda?
- Will parliamentary cooperation extend to supporting a government, either through coalition membership or outside backing?
The distinction between these steps matters because a bloc capable of controlling individual parliamentary votes is not necessarily capable of sustaining a government.
Votendi’s assessment: Eisenkot has a potential numerical path to a majority, but not yet a demonstrated political path to power. The 67 seats outside Netanyahu’s bloc represent an opportunity, not a coalition agreement.
His latest statement signals an intention to turn the election result into parliamentary action. Whether he can turn that action into a governing arrangement remains the central unanswered question.
