Gadi Eisenkot, tasked with forming Israel’s next government, pledged on Tuesday to overturn several flagship policies of outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the newly elected parliament, the Knesset, was sworn in.
The former army chief has six weeks to assemble a governing coalition. If he succeeds, he will end the tenure of Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. Because anti-Netanyahu parties hold a parliamentary majority, the bloc can advance legislation even before a new cabinet takes office.
Eisenkot’s coalition has already moved to introduce bills establishing a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, setting term limits for the prime minister, and repealing judicial overhaul measures passed under Netanyahu’s government, according to NBC News.
The opposition bloc has also begun steps to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, nominating Matan Kahana, a senior figure in Eisenkot’s Yashar party, for the post. Because the speaker controls which bills reach the floor for debate, installing Kahana would help the coalition push ahead with its legislative agenda.
Meanwhile, Eisenkot has not ruled out accepting support from Arab parties to form a government, provided they recognize Israel’s identity as a Jewish state and classify Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Netanyahu has opposed courting Arab lawmakers and questioned their loyalty. Calling his remarks divisive and hateful, Eisenkot said Netanyahu is unfit to serve as prime minister for another minute and canceled a scheduled meeting with Netanyahu’s Likud party.
Despite the opening of the new Knesset, Netanyahu and his cabinet remain in office as a caretaker government until a new administration is sworn in.
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