The Library Media — National & World · World Desk
Yair Golan Says a New Israeli Government Can Be Formed Within Two to Three Weeks
By Maya Wilson
Follow The Library Media
Israeli Democratic Party leader Yair Golan said Wednesday that a new government could be formed within two to three weeks, offering a faster timetable than the 28-day mandate now held by Gadi Eisenkot. Golan pointed to progress in negotiations between the opposition change bloc and ultra-Orthodox parties, but the prospect of a coalition remains complicated by disagreement over whether Arab parties should participate or provide parliamentary support.
Golan made the prediction in an interview with Israeli Army Radio, according to Anadolu Agency. The report said it was not clear whether his estimate reflected developments in the negotiations or a desire to accelerate the government-formation process. His timetable therefore remains a political assessment, not an announced agreement or a confirmed schedule for a new administration.
The central dispute concerns the role of Arab parties in any coalition arrangement. Golan has repeatedly argued for a government formed in partnership with the United Arab List, known as Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas, and supported by the Arab Joint List, headed by Yousef Jabareen.
That position puts him at odds with Avigdor Liberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu and a partner in the change bloc. Liberman has pledged not to join a government that includes Arab parties or depends on their support. At the same time, he has softened his opposition to ultra-Orthodox parties joining a governing coalition.
The distinction matters because negotiations with ultra-Orthodox factions may help the change bloc assemble a parliamentary majority, but they do not resolve the separate question of Arab representation and support. Golan’s preferred arrangement would require cooperation that Liberman has ruled out. The source report describes progress in talks but does not identify a final compromise on that question.
The parliamentary arithmetic gives Eisenkot a substantial starting position. Factions representing 67 members of the 120-seat Knesset recommended him to form the next government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received recommendations from factions representing 46 members, while a seven-member faction declined to recommend either candidate, Anadolu reported.
President Isaac Herzog tasked Eisenkot with forming a government on Sunday. Under the timetable described in the report, Eisenkot has 28 days to complete the task, with the possibility of an extension of up to 14 days.
Golan’s forecast of two to three weeks would put a coalition agreement within reach before the initial mandate expires. But the recommendation figures do not themselves establish that a government can be formed. They indicate the parliamentary support expressed during the process of selecting the candidate to receive the mandate; negotiations over the composition and support arrangements of a coalition remain a separate challenge.
The 67 recommendations for Eisenkot exceed the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member parliament. Yet the change bloc’s ability to translate that support into a governing coalition depends on whether its constituent parties can agree on the terms of cooperation. The Arab-parties question is one of the clearest obstacles identified in the reporting.
Golan’s position also places pressure on the bloc to settle the issue rather than defer it. His repeated calls for a government involving Ra’am and backed by the Arab Joint List contrast directly with Liberman’s public pledge. Liberman’s softened stance toward ultra-Orthodox participation suggests that one point of resistance may be easing, but it does not indicate a similar change on Arab-party support.
The next two to three weeks will test whether the reported progress in negotiations can overcome that divide. Golan has offered an optimistic estimate, but Anadolu’s account does not establish that all parties have accepted a coalition formula or that a deal is imminent.
For Eisenkot, the formal clock is already running. He has 28 days under the mandate, potentially extended by another 14. Golan’s prediction sets a shorter political target: a new government within two to three weeks. Whether that can be achieved may depend less on the pace of talks with ultra-Orthodox parties than on whether the change bloc can resolve its disagreement over Arab parties before its opportunity to form a government runs out.
— Maya Wilson, World Desk
From The Library — the estate of our family.