Eisenkot Pushes Minority Cabinet Plan as Opposition Bloc Divides Over Strategy

The opposition camp in Israel is moving toward a strategy that bypasses the traditional requirement for a 61-seat majority, though internal disagreements threaten the plan. Gadi Eisenkot, who seeks to lead the bloc, proposes forming a minority government if his coalition wins between 58 and 59 seats in the upcoming election. This approach relies on winning a confidence vote with support and abstentions rather than a permanent parliamentary majority.

Current polling data shows the anti-Netanyahu camp ahead of the outgoing coalition, but the numbers do not yet secure the 61 seats needed for a standard majority government. Conversely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies also lack a clear majority in many surveys, though some polls suggest the right-wing bloc could achieve it. The final seat distribution will depend on the electoral threshold and small shifts in voter preference that could determine whether Israel forms a new government or faces another round of political instability.

Eisenkot rejects any rotation arrangement with Netanyahu and insists on leading the change-seeking bloc. His plan involves swearing in a government with the support of 58 or 59 MKs and then working to widen its base in the Knesset. Legally, a government can be sworn in with a simple majority in a confidence vote, meaning abstentions from opposition parties can allow the new cabinet to take office without a stable 61-seat alliance.

However, the plan faces resistance from key allies. Avigdor Liberman categorically rejects a minority government, even a transitional one, and demands a Zionist majority from the start. He stated that another election is preferable to a government that does not meet his conditions. Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, who head the Beyachad list, share this view, refusing to rely on the votes or abstentions of Arab parties. A meeting between Eisenkot and Liberman this week ended with a joint call to increase voter turnout but did not resolve their strategic differences.

Parallel to the government formation debate, the opposition bloc is nearing an agreement to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana before any coalition deal is struck. The goal is to secure control of the parliamentary agenda for Netanyahu’s opponents, even if he remains as head of a caretaker government. The speaker is elected early in a new Knesset term, and the bloc could use support from Arab party MKs to pass an agreed candidate in a public vote.

Names raised for the speakership include Chili Tropper, Matan Kahana, and Elazar Stern from Eisenkot’s list, along with Meirav Ben-Ari and Eitan Ginzburg from the Bennett-Lapid list. Efrat Rayten of the Democrats and attorney Oded Forer of Yisrael Beytenu are also in the running. No consensus candidate has been announced yet, but Liberman estimated that up to one-third of outgoing coalition MKs might vote against Ohana, provided they do so openly.

The bloc also intends to advance several legislative priorities, including a state commission of inquiry into October 7, changes to conscription law, and limits on the prime minister’s tenure. Liberman seeks a bar on individuals facing criminal charges serving as prime minister. While party teams have begun coordinating, no binding agreement exists on the details or the order of these measures. Obstacles include internal disagreements over judicial changes and the constitutional hurdles that laws targeting Netanyahu may face.