Jerusalem — Eisenkot Accepts Mandate, Urges Netanyahu's Ouster

Gadi Eisenkot accepted a mandate to try to build Israel's next government and, in the same breath, called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's removal, according to The Washington Post.

Eisenkot said assembling a working coalition would require "creative and unconventional political steps," the Post reported, language that points to the arithmetic facing anyone trying to replace Netanyahu's government without a majority bloc already locked in.

He added that change in Jerusalem was needed to restore "sanity" to Israeli politics, the Post reported — a framing that puts the current governing arrangement itself, rather than a single policy dispute, at the center of his case for new leadership.

What mandate did Eisenkot accept?

The Post's reporting establishes that Eisenkot has formally accepted a mandate to attempt to form a government. The dispatch does not detail who issued the mandate, what triggered it, or how much time Eisenkot has to complete the task — details that typically determine whether a coalition effort succeeds inside Israel's fragmented parliamentary system.

What is Eisenkot actually proposing?

His own words are specific on tone and vaguer on mechanics. "Creative and unconventional political steps" is how he described what coalition-building will require, according to the Post. In the portion of his remarks the Post reported, he did not name which parties he intends to approach or what concessions he is prepared to offer to assemble a majority in the Knesset.

Why does Eisenkot say Netanyahu should go?

Eisenkot framed the stakes around the country's overall political condition rather than a single grievance, saying restoring "sanity" was the point of the effort, the Post reported. The Post's account does not quote him citing a specific policy fight, legal matter, or election result as the immediate trigger for that comment.

Has Netanyahu's office responded?

The Washington Post dispatch reviewed for this report does not include a response from Netanyahu, his office, or his party to Eisenkot's remarks. Whether that silence holds, or is broken by a public rebuttal, will shape how the mandate period is read in Jerusalem in the coming days.

What happens next in the coalition process?

The Post's reporting does not specify a deadline for Eisenkot to present a government, nor does it identify which Knesset factions have signaled support for his effort. Those gaps mean the practical odds of success, and the composition of any coalition Eisenkot might build, remain outside what has been publicly reported so far.

This report reflects the Post's published account as of Nov. 8, 2026, and will be updated as further reporting on the mandate becomes available.