Israeli Opposition Backs Eisenkot as Netanyahu Seeks Broad Government After Inconclusive Election

Israel's opposition leaders were due to meet Tuesday in Herzliya for the first time since last week's closely contested election, in which neither Gadi Eisenkot's change bloc nor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing alliance won a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Eisenkot's bloc won 48 seats and Netanyahu's camp 53, including 27 for his Likud party, while Arab-majority lists took a record 19. All parties in Eisenkot's camp have endorsed him for prime minister, and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced on X that his B'Yachad faction will recommend to President Isaac Herzog that Eisenkot be given the task of forming a government. On Monday, Netanyahu called for a broad national government without the Arab parties, saying that as head of the largest party he should lead it. Party leaders are to make competing cases to Herzog, who has urged politicians to accept the results. Whether to unite with the Arab parties is the opposition's central question.

The New York Times, the left-leaning outlet covering the story, presents it as a contest: its headline says Netanyahu and Eisenkot are seeking a shot at the premiership, and its excerpt centers on their competing pitches to the president, giving both men equal weight. The available text includes no seat totals or mention of the Arab parties. France 24 leads with the opposition uniting behind Eisenkot while Netanyahu says voters chose him, and supplies the seat counts, the record Arab total and the label of potential kingmakers. The Hindu leads with Bennett's endorsement and Eisenkot's thanks. Both outlets agree on the core fact that Herzog will decide who gets first chance. Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had, focusing on who will be asked to form the government.