Israel’s New Prime Minister: Gadi Eisenkot?

On Sunday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog tasked Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming Israel’s next government. He will have 28 days to assemble a 61-seat coalition in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset, with a possible extension of 14 days. Herzog’s choice of Eisenkot shows what his priorities are for the next Israeli government—and could indicate a dangerous change in direction for the nation.

• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party won the most seats at 27, compared to Yashar’s 21. But in Herzog’s discussions with the different parties on who they support as prime minister, Eisenkot got the support of parties representing 67 Knesset members compared to Netanyahu’s 46. One faction of seven members declined to recommend any candidate.

An unthinkable deal? Eisenkot only got the scale of backing he did thanks to two anti-Zionist Arab factions worth 19 seats. Eisenkot has publicly ruled out making a deal with the Arab parties, but now that their support has given him the prospect of becoming Israel’s new head of government, he may feel compelled to go back on his word.

Herzog, in his announcement, said he expected the government to “move forward with the Board of Peace and President Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, and with negotiations with Lebanon and our other neighbors.”

• President Donald Trump has pushed for Israel to cede control of Gaza to a new Palestinian government. He has also pressured Israel to leave Lebanon before Hezbollah has been disarmed. Netanyahu has resisted both.
• Herzog may be signaling frustration with Netanyahu’s approach and an expectation for Eisenkot to give more enthusiastic support for the peace processes.

After Israel struck Iran’s nuclear program last year, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote:

I was stirred by Netanyahu’s action and his bold, aggressive leadership. In many ways, he is his nation’s “rising lion.” … I believe that just as God used the courage of Churchill to save Western civilization, God has used the fighting spirit of Netanyahu to hold off the atomic forces of evil.

• Herzog choosing Eisenkot may finally end the Netanyahu era.

Prophecies like Isaiah 3:1-5 show that the Jewish state and the other modern nations that descended from ancient Israel are under a curse of collapsing leadership because of their rebellion against God. Prime Minister Netanyahu was largely the lone exception to this curse. If Netanyahu loses power, expect Israel’s decline to become a dive into national catastrophe.