What happens if Eisenkot fails: Will Netanyahu get a second chance, or is Israel heading to another election within 100 days?

Israel’s political system is entering a tight countdown after President Isaac Herzog chose former army chief Gadi Eisenkot to try to form a government on Saturday, November 7, 2026. The move sidelines Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose coalition lost its majority. Eisenkot, 66 and leader of Yashar, has 28 days to build a coalition; he can request a 14-day extension if needed. If he fails, Herzog could give Netanyahu another chance, and if both miss deadlines, parliament could pick a new candidate—potentially forcing Israelis back to elections if the process reaches 100 days without a government. A majority requires 61 of 120 Knesset seats; Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist bloc holds 53. Eisenkot’s potential partners total 48, with Ra’am and the Joint List adding 19, creating 67 on paper, but key parties reject relying on Arab lawmakers in a minority cabinet.