Israeli election challenger Gadi Eisenkot got the first attempt at forming a new government, putting him a step closer to ending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s record tenure.

Eisenkot was formally handed the mandate on Sunday by President Isaac Herzog, who noted the “immense” challenges facing the country. Eisenkot will have up to six weeks to try to form a coalition that accounts for the majority of 120 parliamentary seats. Failure would mean the task likely reverts to Netanyahu, who for now continues to govern in a caretaker capacity.

While neither candidate’s political camp won a clear parliamentary majority in the Oct. 27 vote, Eisenkot’s nomination was supported by a majority of parties. The centrist ex-general said he was already negotiating to cobble together what he called a “national emergency government” to oust Netanyahu, under whose hard-right coalition Israel has been mired in war and deepening international isolation.

“I am confident that my partners and I fully grasp the gravity of the hour and the urgent need to swear in a new government,” Eisenkot said in a speech upon receiving the mandate. “We possess the skills and experience necessary to steer Israel back to safe shores.”

Eisenkot’s bloc secured 48 seats in the election, short of Netanyahu’s 53. The challenger said he would be open to allying with other parties that agree to conditions including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and of Hamas as a terrorist group.

That appeared to be directed mainly at two parties that cater to Israel’s Arab minority, which surged to 19 seats. They have historically shunned or been excluded from governance, given their pro-Palestinian sympathies and waiver from national service. Their constituents complain of system discrimination that raises questions about the inclusiveness of Israeli democracy.

Netanyahu has alleged that foreign funding illicitly boosted Arab voter turnout. Election officials ordered investigations but still certified the vote tally.

In a video statement, Netanyahu accused Eisenkot of planning to set up a government with “terrorism supporters” and offered to join him in broad coalition instead. Eisenkot has called for an end to the career of the six-term prime minister, who failed to prevent the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas invasion and is under indictment on corruption charges that he denies.

Still, Eisenkot may reconsider if U.S. President Donald Trump renews the military campaign against Iran, given Israel would be expected to offer support or risk further fracturing the already vulnerable U.S.-Israeli partnership.

Barring that, an Eisenkot government would consign Netanyahu and his religious nationalist partners to the opposition. The challenger, who is untested in domestic politics and international diplomacy, has pledged to reverse the country’s course, without giving details. He’s echoed Netanyahu’s rejection of a Palestinian state and warnings about a nuclear-armed Iran.

Eisenkot — a former commander of Israel’s armed forces who lost a son and two nephews as soldiers in the Gaza war — will find allying with Arab parties that do not accept his conditions a tall order. The same goes for ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, which won a combined 13 seats and want their constituents exempted from the draft.

Another option for Eisenkot could be forming a minority government with tacit protection from Arab or ultra-Orthodox parties in the opposition, which would decline to join in no-confidence motions as long as their demands are met.

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(With assistance from John Bowker and Alisa Odenheimer.)

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