Eisenkot Proposes 58-Seat Minority Cabinet as Israeli Opposition Divides

Gadi Eisenkot is pushing to form a minority government in Israel with as few as 58 seats. He wants to lead the anti-Netanyahu bloc and serve as its primary candidate for the premiership. Eisenkot rejects any arrangement where he serves under Benjamin Netanyahu, including rotation deals. His proposal relies on winning a confidence vote without securing a permanent backing from 61 Members of Knesset. The government would then work to expand its parliamentary support after taking office.

Current polls show the opposition camp ahead of the ruling coalition. However, the Zionist parties in the bloc do not yet have the 61 seats required for a standard majority. Netanyahu and his allies also lack a clear majority in most surveys, though some polls show them with enough seats. A small shift in the electoral threshold could determine whether Israel forms a new government or faces another election.

Legal experts note that swearing in a government requires a majority in a confidence vote, not necessarily 61 affirmative votes. Abstentions could allow a 58-seat bloc to take power. This differs from a constructive vote of no confidence, which requires 61 MKs to back a replacement. The minority option could help form a new cabinet but would not allow the bloc to remove a sitting Netanyahu government by simple majority.

Avigdor Liberman strongly opposes Eisenkot's plan. He insists on a Zionist majority of 61 seats from the start. Liberman says another election is preferable to a government that does not meet his criteria. He has suggested bringing in Likud MKs to form a government without Netanyahu but has not named any specific members. Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid also demand a Zionist government and refuse to rely on Arab party votes for support.

The opposition leaders remain divided on leadership. Eisenkot aims to head the largest party, while Bennett sees himself as the natural choice due to his prior experience as prime minister. A meeting between Eisenkot and Liberman this week ended without resolving their disagreement. The two did issue a joint call to increase voter turnout. Yair Golan of the Democrats has not ruled out working with Ra'am, but no specific formula exists for such cooperation.

The bloc is also moving to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana before any coalition deal is finalized. This move would give opposition members control of the parliamentary agenda even if Netanyahu remains head of a caretaker government. Names under consideration for the speaker post include Chili Tropper, Matan Kahana, and Elazar Stern from Eisenkot's list. Meirav Ben-Ari and Eitan Ginzburg from the Bennett-Lapid list are also in the running. No consensus candidate has been announced yet.

Liberman estimated that up to one-third of outgoing coalition MKs might vote against Ohana. The opposition also plans to push for a state commission of inquiry into October 7 and changes to conscription laws. They seek limits on the prime minister's tenure and the repeal of some judicial changes. No binding agreement exists on the order of these legislative goals, and party teams are just beginning to coordinate on details.