The dynamics of Eisenkot’s government

U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that, as far as he is concerned, it makes little difference whether Gadi Eisenkot or Benjamin Netanyahu becomes Prime Minister of Israel: they are similar and both love him. He is not entirely wrong; the Yashar and Likud parties have much in common, they would have no trouble sitting in the same government, and they could draw up a joint programme without too much effort. However, the problem centres entirely on the current Prime Minister, Netanyahu, with whom nobody wants to form a coalition any longer: he has devoured too many allies in the past and, above all, he was the main target of the opposition’s election campaign.

Eisenkot has realised that the only solution is to form a government of national unity, and Netanyahu has also come to the same conclusion; just yesterday he issued a call for unity. Eisenkot will have six weeks to find a solution; if he fails, it will be up to Netanyahu; if he fails too, it will be up to the Knesset. If no results are achieved within ninety-one days, there will be another election – and, according to the polls, the Israelis do not want that. Eisenkot has only just begun; he has started consultations and has invited members of Likud and Religious Zionism to come and speak with him. He does not wish to take the conversation to the level of party leaders but is seeking people within the parties who are willing to join a majority coalition. He does not wish to speak with Netanyahu or with Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of Religious Zionism, but he is interested in their MPs.

The operation is complicated, but in the meantime he is striking deals, for example with Avigdor Lieberman, who always knows how to throw a spanner in the works. The mathematics in this case does not offer infinite solutions; Eisenkot is trying to show himself to be creative, saying that everyone will have to give up on some election promises. As well as imagination, flexibility is needed – the ability to be adaptable – and this is an effort that everyone will have to make, because taking the country to the polls yet again is an affront to the voters’ patience, not a boon to the vitality of Israeli democracy.