Eisenkot takes control of Knesset, but speaker pick may complicate government formation - analysis

At Yashar's faction meeting in the Knesset before Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony, Gadi Eisenkot reiterated that his coalition would be open to anyone who accepts his four principles. Israel must be a Jewish and democratic state, the government must uphold the values of the Declaration of Independence, everyone must serve, and Hamas's governing and military capabilities must be destroyed.Two weeks after the election, it is still unclear how he plans to put together a government on those terms. The haredi parties are unlikely to agree to universal service, and many of the 19 Arab MKs are unlikely to sign on to the first and fourth principles.But he is not standing still, and Eisenkot is already putting the anti-Netanyahu majority to work in the Knesset.The 48 MKs in the change bloc and the 19 in the Arab parties gave him the votes on Wednesday to elect Yashar's Roy Folkman as chairman of the powerful Arrangements Committee and are expected to give him the votes to replace Likud's Amir Ohana as Knesset speaker next Tuesday.The arithmetic that helped Eisenkot secure the presidential mandate is already changing who runs the Knesset.Eisenkot's bloc moves to reshape Knesset committees and advance legislationThe Arrangements Committee shapes much of the Knesset's work before a government is formed.