The task of forming a government handed to Gadi Eisenkot will not be easy. He will have to choose between parties that do not recognise Hamas as a terror organisation and parties representing the public that has become the most hated in Israel.
Eisenkot will be forced to abandon one of his campaign promises: either universal conscription, which means excluding the haredim, or a unity government with Netanyahu. At the moment, the second option appears off the table.
During the campaign, Eisenkot made clear he was prepared to rely on the Arab parties to form a minority government if necessary, but it has now emerged that such a move will not receive the backing of Liberman, and perhaps not Bennett either.
Today, Eisenkot set out four conditions for joining a government under his leadership:
1. Recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, Ra'am could live with this, the Joint List perhaps not.
2. Acceptance of the values of the Declaration of Independence.
3. Mandatory service for all, military and civilian, against the haredim.
4. Recognition of Hamas as a terror organisation, does not pass Ra'am either.
It is important to note that the four conditions Eisenkot set out apply only to joining the government, and it is possible that parties that do not meet these criteria could still support a minority government from outside.
Eisenkot repeatedly used the term "emergency government", making clear he intends a rapid move, though it is far from certain he can secure 61 votes.
For the haredi parties, it is clear they will block any government that does not provide them with written commitments, and will vote against any rapid move not thoroughly coordinated with them. The Arab parties have already made clear they want nothing, only to bring down Netanyahu.
But there is one line in Eisenkot's remarks that may have been intended to make the haredim acceptable: "Mandatory service for all, military, national and civilian."
If until now the talk was only of military service for all as the first law to be passed in the new Knesset against the haredi public, it appears Eisenkot is opening the door to additional ideas regarding the service obligation that may include softer components as well. Are the new ideas intended to make the haredim acceptable? Time will tell.
