Who is Gadi Eisenkot, who has been tasked with forming the new government in Israel?

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot with forming a new government, positioning him to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he can secure a parliamentary majority. Eisenkot, who led the Israel Defense Forces from 2015 to 2019, is known for a more conciliatory political profile and has pitched his platform to a broad cross-section of voters. The mandate follows an election in which no bloc emerged with a clear governing majority, leaving coalition arithmetic the decisive factor. Eisenkot's success hinges on assembling a coalition from parties that have historically been reluctant partners, with the makeup of that alliance likely to shape fiscal policy, security spending and the pace of any judicial or regulatory overhaul. Markets will watch whether a stable government emerges quickly or whether Israel heads toward another election cycle.