Israel’s Eisenkot: What a Shift Could Mean

A majority of 67 of 120 Israeli parliament members has recommended former military chief Gadi Eisenkot for the mandate to form a government, though his path to becoming prime minister remains uncertain. President Isaac Herzog will likely task the 66-year-old opposition leader on Sunday, giving him 28 days to build a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. Outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use political maneuvers to block the transition. Eisenkot, who lost his son and two nephews in Gaza, is seen as security-conservative but more pragmatic than Netanyahu. He opposes settler violence, is open to coordinating with Washington on Gaza, and rejects toppling Iran's leadership as a war goal.