Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced on Saturday that he will task Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the opposition Yashar party, with forming a new government, according to a report by Axios. Axios said the decision deals a major setback to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and gives Eisenkot 28 days to establish a government.
A separate New York Times report by Ephrat Livni and Aaron Boxerman described Eisenkot as a former military chief who hopes to succeed Netanyahu by assembling a coalition after what the newspaper described as an inconclusive election. The Times headline characterized him as an opposition leader tapped to try to form a government.
Axios also said the move is the closest Netanyahu has come to losing power since 2021, while cautioning that "deep divisions" could still prevent a new government from taking shape. The available summaries do not identify the parties or issues behind those divisions.
The two accounts differ in emphasis. The Times centered its report on Eisenkot's ambitions and the coalition he hopes to build, while Axios, in a report by Barak Ravid, emphasized the formal assignment from the president and the 28-day window. Both accounts place Eisenkot at the center of the effort to form a government. Neither summary describes the vote totals behind the inconclusive result or the parties that might join a coalition.
Sources: The New York Times: Israeli Opposition Leader Tapped to Try to Form Government; Axios: Netanyahu rival Eisenkot tapped to form Israeli government.