Eisenkot Sets 58-Seat Floor for New Israeli Cabinet

Gadi Eisenkot has proposed a threshold of 58 or 59 Knesset seats as the minimum requirement for the anti-Netanyahu bloc to form a minority government.

The former defense minister, who seeks to lead the opposition bloc and serve as its primary candidate for the premiership, outlined this plan in response to polling data showing his camp ahead of the current coalition. Under Eisenkot’s strategy, the new cabinet would win a confidence vote without securing permanent backing from 61 members of the Knesset. The government would then work to expand its parliamentary support after taking office. Eisenkot rejected the idea of serving under Benjamin Netanyahu, including in a rotation arrangement, and views the minority path as a way to avoid a deadlock.

The legal basis for this approach rests on the distinction between forming a government and removing one. Swearing in a new cabinet requires a majority of votes in favor during the confidence vote, meaning abstentions can facilitate the process. A constructive vote of no confidence, however, still requires 61 MKs to back an alternative. Consequently, this minority scenario would allow the bloc to install a new government but would not enable them to oust a sitting Netanyahu administration by simple majority.

Key figures within the opposition remain divided on the viability of this plan. Avigdor Liberman categorically rejected a minority government, even a transitional one. He insisted on a Zionist majority from the outset and stated that another election would be preferable to a cabinet that did not meet his criteria. Liberman also proposed bringing Likud MKs into a government without Netanyahu, though he has not named specific legislators or confirmed ongoing talks. Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, who lead the Beyachad list, similarly demanded a Zionist government and refused to rely on the votes or abstentions of Arab parties.

In a related move, the opposition parties are reportedly nearing an agreement to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana before a coalition deal is struck. The bloc aims to secure control of the parliamentary agenda, potentially drawing on Arab party MKs to build a majority for a new speaker. Names under consideration include Chili Tropper, Matan Kahana, and Elazar Stern from Eisenkot’s list, as well as 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. Liberman estimated this week that one-third of outgoing coalition MKs might vote against Ohana, although no consensus candidate has been announced.

The bloc intends to use the new speaker to advance a state commission of inquiry into October 7, changes to conscription law, and limits on the prime minister’s tenure. Liberman also seeks a bar on individuals facing criminal charges serving as prime minister. While party teams have begun coordinating on these legislative priorities, no binding agreement exists on the specifics or the order of operations. Obstacles persist, as not every member supports every judicial change, and a new speaker does not automatically guarantee a legislative majority. The collapse of the previous Bennett-Lapid government before it completed its promised laws remains a reference point for the current effort.