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Israel’s New Parliament Is Sworn In as Eisenkot Works to Form a Government — and Netanyahu Holds Caretaker Power
By Maya Wilson
Maya Wilson
Maya Wilson leads The Library Media’s World Desk.
Israel’s 26th Knesset is being sworn in on Tuesday, November 10, following the October 27 snap election, opening the next stage of a government-formation process that remains uncertain as former military chief Gadi Eisenkot attempts to assemble a governing coalition while Benjamin Netanyahu stays on as caretaker prime minister.
The swearing-in is the first formal step toward forming a new government. A new speaker of the Knesset is expected to be chosen on Tuesday, and the choice will help determine how quickly the parliament can proceed to the coalition negotiations that will follow.
President Isaac Herzog tasked Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, on Sunday with forming a government. Eisenkot is a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces. His bloc has agreed to nominate Matan Kahana, also of Yashar, for the post of Knesset speaker, according to the Times of Israel.
The task facing Eisenkot is far from straightforward. Al Jazeera reported that neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu’s coalition secured the 61 seats needed for a majority in the Knesset, leaving it unclear who will ultimately form the next administration. If Eisenkot fails in his attempt, Herzog may turn to Netanyahu to try to form a government.
While the government-formation talks continue, Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister. Under Article 30 of Israel’s Basic Law, the outgoing government remains in office until a new one is sworn in. In that role, it continues to manage the state, security and foreign relations, subject to a duty of restraint.
The caretaker government’s powers are limited in important respects. Under Article 40 of the Basic Law, a decision to launch a new war requires a vote of the cabinet as a whole, rather than by the prime minister alone. The Shin Bet security service reports directly to the prime minister, a reporting line that remains unchanged while Netanyahu serves in a caretaker capacity, according to Al Jazeera, citing analyst Ehab Jabareen.
Jabareen told Al Jazeera that Netanyahu had lost the priority of forming the government but not the premiership, and that divisions among his opponents had helped ensure his political survival. Expert Maysara Bahr noted that Netanyahu cannot use the caretaker period to push through new legislation designed to shield him from his ongoing corruption trial.
Al Jazeera has also reported that the Shin Bet found no evidence of foreign interference in the election, a finding attributed to Al Jazeera’s reporting. The report was presented as the security service’s assessment of the vote, rather than as a separate official statement.
The swearing-in of the 26th Knesset marks the start of a process that could still take weeks to resolve. The choice of speaker, the negotiations over a governing coalition and the possibility of a further mandate all remain open questions as Eisenkot begins his attempt to form a government.
Reporting based on BBC and Al Jazeera dispatches.
— Maya Wilson, World Desk
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