00:05A major political shift in Israel.
00:08President Isaac Herzog has formally handed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot
00:13the first opportunity to form the country's next government,
00:17putting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future under fresh scrutiny.
00:21But here's the twist.
00:23Eisenkot has indicated that even Netanyahu and members of his far-right coalition
00:29could be included in a government under his leadership.
00:33So, what happens next, and can Eisenkot actually bring Israel's divided political landscape together?
00:41Let's break it down.
00:42Israel's parliamentary election, held on October 27th,
00:46failed to deliver a clear governing majority to either of the two major political blocs.
00:52Neither the opposition alliance led by Eisenkot's centrist Yasher party
00:57nor Netanyahu's ruling coalition secured a straightforward path to forming a government.
01:03Following consultations with political parties,
01:06President Isaac Herzog announced that he was giving Eisenkot the first mandate
01:10after more lawmakers expressed support for him than for Netanyahu.
01:14And on Sunday, Eisenkot formally accepted the responsibility.
01:19His message was clear.
01:21Israel needs a different kind of government.
01:24Eisenkot said he would work towards forming what he called a national emergency government,
01:29adding that this would require creative and unconventional political steps.
01:34But perhaps the most striking part of his announcement was his willingness to consider political rivals.
01:40Eisenkot said members of Netanyahu's Likud party and the religious Zionist party,
01:46including far-right finance minister Bezala Smotrich,
01:49could support a government under his leadership.
01:54If members of Likud and the religious Zionist party truly believe this is a time for unity,
02:00as they told the president,
02:02I cannot conceive of any reason why they would not support a government under my leadership
02:07and the principles I have presented.
02:11In other words, Eisenkot is leaving the door open even to political forces that have been on the opposite side
02:17of the election battle.
02:19And this is significant because Eisenkot is not an outsider to Israeli politics or national security.
02:25He served as the chief of Israel's military from 2015 to 2019 and entered politics in 2022.
02:34He also served as an observer in Netanyahu's war cabinet during the first eight months of Israel's war on Gaza,
02:41which began in October 2023.
02:44Meanwhile, President Herzog has warned that Israel is facing a changing international environment,
02:49particularly following the November 3rd U.S. midterm elections.
02:54He pointed to a new political reality in Washington,
02:57where several politicians critical of Israel and U.S. military support for it secured electoral victories.
03:05Herzog stressed that Israel needs a stable government amid these uncertainties.
03:09But Eisenkot faces a tight deadline.
03:12He has 28 days to put together a governing coalition, with the possibility of an additional 14-day extension.
03:19If he fails, Israeli President Herzog can give another politician, potentially Netanyahu, the opportunity to form a government.
03:28And if no leader succeeds, Israel could be heading towards another election.
03:33So, the big question now is whether Eisenkot can turn his call for national unity into an actual parliamentary majority.
03:40For now, Netanyahu's political future remains uncertain,
03:45while Eisenkot has the first opportunity to shape Israel's next government.
04:11Netanyahu's political will always succeed in advance.
04:12Until he remains consistency with not only court Salzog has entered every step of the premiere.
