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Israeli President Isaac Herzog will announce on Sunday whether Benjamin Netanyahu or Gadi Eisenkot will get the mandate to form the next government after election consultations.
Israel Government Formation: Herzog To Name Netanyahu Or Eisenkot On Sunday (Photos: AP)
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he will announce on Sunday whom he will nominate to form the country’s next government, after consultations with political parties following last week’s parliamentary elections, which left Israel facing a political deadlock.
Herzog held marathon consultations with elected factions on Wednesday and Thursday, during which 67 of the 120 lawmakers backed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot. At the same time, 46 recommended incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the task, according to Reuters.
However, Herzog said the numbers alone did not establish which candidate had the best chance of forming a governing coalition, citing differences and mutual vetoes among political blocs.
In televised remarks after concluding the consultations, Herzog said that while the results might appear clear, there were “mutual vetoes between the blocs and within the blocs themselves” that made it difficult to determine who could successfully form a government.
He said he would announce his decision on Sunday after holding further discussions with some party leaders over the Israeli weekend, which runs from Friday to Saturday.
NEITHER NETANYAHU NOR EISENKOT HAS CLEAR PATH TO MAJORITY
The October 27 parliamentary election ended without either Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist bloc or the alliance of parties supporting Eisenkot securing the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
At A Glance
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will announce his choice of government formation candidate on Sunday.
67 lawmakers recommended opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, while 46 backed Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu’s Likud won 27 seats, but his coalition bloc secured only 53.
Netanyahu’s Likud party emerged as the single largest party, winning 27 seats. However, his wider coalition bloc secured only 53 seats.
Eisenkot’s anti-Netanyahu coalition, comprising four parties ranging from centre-left to right-wing Jewish-led factions, won 48 seats, despite pre-election polls indicating a close contest.
Meanwhile, two parties representing Israel’s Arab minority secured an unprecedented 19 seats, marking significant gains for Arab-led political factions.
Both Arab-led parties endorsed Eisenkot during Herzog’s consultations, taking the number of lawmakers recommending him to 67. However, Eisenkot, like Netanyahu, has so far ruled out forming a government with the Arab-led parties.
In another setback for Netanyahu, United Torah Judaism, one of the two major parties representing ultra-Orthodox Jewish voters and a longstanding coalition ally of the prime minister, declined to recommend any candidate during its meeting with Herzog.
HERZOG SAYS ELECTION RESULTS ARE LEGALLY BINDING
The consultations come amid allegations by Netanyahu and his supporters that Arab-led parties had stolen the election, possibly with foreign assistance.
The Prime Minister’s allies have repeatedly questioned the outcome, although election authorities have found no evidence that the integrity of the vote was compromised.
On Wednesday, Israel’s Central Election Committee said a thorough investigation into allegations of electoral fraud had found “no evidence of irregularities that compromised the integrity of the election or affected its results”.
Herzog had earlier accepted the certified election results as legally binding and urged political leaders to respect the outcome.
“The elections are over. Now is the time to face reality,” Herzog said.
Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who heads the Central Election Committee, also cautioned against undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
“This is a real danger. One of the foundations of democracy is the peaceful transfer of power,” Sohlberg told Herzog on Wednesday.
He said high voter turnout, including among Israel’s Arab minority, was a blessing.
CANDIDATE WILL GET UP TO 42 DAYS TO FORM GOVERNMENT
Once Herzog announces his choice on Sunday, the nominated candidate will have 28 days to put together a governing coalition. The period can be extended by another 14 days, giving the candidate a maximum of 42 days.
Netanyahu will continue as Prime Minister in a caretaker capacity until a new coalition government is formed.
If the nominated candidate fails to secure the necessary support, the possibility of another election remains. Israel could head to a fresh election early next year if neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot succeeds in forming a government.
Meanwhile, the Shin Bet intelligence agency’s separate investigation into alleged foreign interference in the election remains ongoing. The agency had sought permission to interrogate several elected Arab lawmakers, including Ra’am party leader Mansour Abbas, but Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected the request.
“It is not permissible to interrogate citizens or elected officials without evidence to justify such action,” she said.
Herzog has said the investigation should proceed but cautioned against targeting Arab Israeli voters with allegations.
“I condemn the coarseness and racist expressions that we have heard recently,” he said, adding that Arab Israeli voters “must not be smeared”.
Quick Answers
Ask News18During consultations, 67 of the 120 lawmakers backed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, while 46 recommended incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the task of forming the next government.
Ask News18About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
November 06, 2026, 07:12 IST
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