00:00Welcome back. It's being seen as a major setback for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
00:05Days after voters gave him the majority, but not the magic halfway mark figure.
00:11Former Israeli Armed Forces Chief, Gandhi Eisenkot, the leader of Opposition Alliance, the Change Alliance,
00:17has now formally been invited to form the next government.
00:20He has 28 days with a possible 14-day extension to secure numbers in Parliament.
00:25So, Israel's President Isaac Herzog handed Eisenkot the mandate after he received support from 67 lawmakers,
00:33compared to 46 who are backing Benjamin Netanyahu.
00:37Now, seven lawmakers haven't endorsed either candidate.
00:41But forming the government will not be easy.
00:43In the October 27 elections, Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party emerged as the single largest party with 27 seats.
00:50Eisenkot's party secured 21.
00:51However, Netanyahu's wider alliance managed only 53 seats,
00:57while Eisenkot's four-party block has 48.
01:00Neither side crossing the 61 mark in the 120-member kereset.
01:05We get you more in this report.
01:13Israeli President Isaac Herzog has officially tasked former military chief and Yasha party leader,
01:21Gadi Eisenkot, with forming the country's next government.
01:29Mr. Gadi Eisenkot, I hereby interest you with the task of forming a government.
01:35Accordingly, it is my honor to present you with the mandate to establish a government in Israel.
01:40I wish you great success in this mission.
01:42Thank you very much.
01:44With the mandate interested to me here today, I will lead the formation of a national emergency government.
01:50This will require creative and unconventional political steps.
01:54Israel does not have the luxury of dragging out the process of returning to endless rounds of elections.
02:01Weeks of protracting negotiations are expected to follow Gadi Eisenkot's nomination.
02:07On the first day itself, Eisenkot has invited members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party
02:14and the far-right Religious Zionist party to join a coalition under his leadership.
02:21The rule is simple.
02:23If you are willing to sign to our four principles I have outlined,
02:27you are potential partners for the national emergency government under my leadership.
02:32The four principles are well known indeed.
02:34Firstly, recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
02:39Secondly, acceptance of the values of the Declaration of Independence.
02:44Thirdly, the obligation of service for all military, national and civil to strengthen the IDF and expand its ranks.
02:52Fourthly, recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization
02:56and a commitment to dismantling its military and governmental power.
03:01The leader of the centrist, Yashar Parti, has received recommendations
03:06from 67 lawmakers in the 120-seat Israeli parliament,
03:11compared with 46 for Benjamin Netanyahu.
03:14Now, Gadi Eisenkot has 28 days to try and form a government
03:19with a possible 14-day extension.
03:22If he fails, President Herzog is likely to hand the mandate to Netanyahu.
03:28Beru Report, India Today.
