Gadi Eisenkot Gains Coalition Support
Liberman backs a government joining Eisenkot’s bloc and an ultra-Orthodox party; no deal is sealed.
November 8, 2026 · Updated 1:30pm ET
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ABC NewsIsrael’s president officially gives opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the first chance to form the next government
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46%
Left · 10
9%
Center · 2
45%
Right · 10
Pano rates the coverage Balanced.
What happened
- Avigdor Liberman
Avigdor LiebermanIsraeli politician, member of the Knesset announced support for a government joining Gadi Eisenkot
Gadi EisenkotIsraeli military officer’s opposition bloc with the ultra-Orthodox United Torah JudaismUnited Torah JudaismAlliance of Agudat Israel and Degel HaTorah, two Israeli Haredi parties, formed in 1992 party. - The Democrats party and United Torah Judaism also backed the proposal, but other members of Eisenkot’s bloc have not agreed.
- Eisenkot’s 48-seat bloc would need both United Torah Judaism’s seven seats and ShasShasCharedi ("ultra-Orthodox") religious political party in Israel’s six to reach a 61-seat majority, but Shas backed Benjamin Netanyahu.
- The proposed alliance faces disagreements over military service, as members of Eisenkot’s bloc campaigned for a strict new draft law.
- Eisenkot must still assemble a governing coalition within 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension.
How the left told it
Left-leaning outlets framed Eisenkot’s opportunity as a setback for Netanyahu while emphasizing the difficulty of building a coalition. HuffPost called it a “step closer to ousting” Netanyahu, while Al Jazeera highlighted opposition parties’ conflicting positions on security, religion and the occupation of Palestinian territory.
How the right told it
Right-leaning outlets portrayed Eisenkot’s opportunity as a threat to Netanyahu but stressed the coalition hurdles. Fox News highlighted “deep disagreements” among potential partners, while the Christian Post explored a possible ultra-Orthodox alliance, noting that Liberman’s support left other partners’ agreement and a parliamentary majority unresolved.
Israeli Election Impasse
Part of the storyline · Storyline →- Nov 8Gadi Eisenkot Gains Coalition Support (this story)Balanced
- Nov 7Gadi Eisenkot Tapped To Form GovernmentBalanced
- Nov 4Israel Certifies Election ResultsBalanced
- Oct 30Benjamin Netanyahu’s Party Claims Election StolenLeans Left
- Oct 29Israel’s Arab Parties Win Record SeatsBalanced
