Israel president poised to give Eisenkot first coalition mandate amid protests

President Isaac Herzog is expected to announce on Sunday whether former military chief Gadi Eisenkot will get the first chance to try to form Israel's next government. The decision follows last week's inconclusive election, which left neither Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition with a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Herzog has already held consultations with party leaders as part of the post-election process.

The latest round of recommendations split along familiar lines. Eisenkot's Yashar party, together with the Together, Yisrael Beiteinu and Democrats parties, backed him for the mandate, while Likud, Otzma Yehudit, Religious Zionism and Shas supported Netanyahu. United Torah Judaism did not recommend either leader.

Outside the president's residence in central Jerusalem, two groups of protesters gathered while the meetings were under way, one calling for a unity government and the other for a Jewish-Arab coalition. The president's role is central in Israel's coalition system, even though the office is largely ceremonial. After receiving the official election results, Herzog meets representatives from the parties and then decides which lawmaker is best placed to begin negotiations.

That person is given a limited period to assemble a coalition, and the choice can shape whether the country moves toward a government or toward another election campaign. The deadlock matters because coalition governments are the norm in Israel and the current arithmetic leaves both major camps short of the 61 seats needed to govern alone. The supporting material says Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats, while Eisenkot's camp secured 48, with Arab-led parties holding 19 seats and potentially decisive influence.

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That makes the president's decision more than procedural, because it will affect which alliances are explored first and how quickly talks can begin. The dispute also reflects the wider political tensions that have followed the vote. Netanyahu and other right-wing politicians have accused the election of being stolen, while the opposition has moved to present Eisenkot as the figure most likely to lead a new coalition effort.

The presence of protesters outside the presidential residence underlines how contested the post-election period has become, even before any formal mandate is issued. Israel has repeatedly faced coalition deadlock in recent years, with fragmented results forcing parties into complex bargaining after each election. In this case, the balance of power has shifted toward smaller parties, including Arab-led factions, even though most Jewish parties had already ruled out working with them before the vote.

That leaves Herzog with a politically sensitive choice that could determine whether negotiations are built around a broad compromise or a narrower bloc arrangement. What remains unclear is whether Herzog will formally give Eisenkot the first mandate and, if he does, whether he can assemble enough support to reach a majority. It is also not yet clear how long coalition talks may take or whether the process will end in a stable government.

The next key development will be Herzog's announcement and the response from the parties that have already staked out their positions.

President Isaac Herzog has formally accepted the certified results of Israel's parliamentary election and begun consultations with party leaders on who should be asked to try to form the next government. The move came after the October 27 vote left neither the bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor the bloc led by opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Herzog said the election was over and that it was time to face reality.

The certified tally confirmed that Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats, while Eisenkot's camp secured 48. Arab-led parties won a record 19 seats, leaving them potentially decisive in coalition arithmetic. Herzog began meeting party leaders on Wednesday night, with more consultations scheduled for Thursday, including the two Arab-led factions and the main parties at the end of the round.

The president's role is central in Israel's coalition process even though the office is largely ceremonial. After consultations, Herzog will decide which lawmaker is best placed to try to assemble a government, and that person will then have a limited period to secure support. The latest numbers mean that any viable coalition will need to bridge deep political divisions, including the question of whether Arab-led parties can be part of the governing arrangement.

The development also marks a setback for Netanyahu's efforts to challenge the legitimacy of the vote. According to the certified results, his right-wing and religious-nationalist allies fell short of the threshold needed to govern on their own. The result has increased the leverage of smaller parties and sharpened the focus on possible alliances, including arrangements that could involve Arab-led lawmakers or a broader cross-bloc deal.

The election outcome reflects a familiar pattern in Israeli politics, where coalition bargaining often determines who governs after a fragmented vote. This round is notable because the balance of power has shifted toward smaller parties, while the two main blocs remain unable to command a majority on their own. The record showing by Arab-led parties has made them more influential in the talks, even though their role remains politically sensitive.

What remains unclear is whom Herzog will task with forming a government and whether any bloc can gather enough support to reach 61 seats. It is also not yet clear how party leaders will respond once the consultations are complete, or whether the process will lead to a stable coalition or another election. The next key step will be the president's decision after he finishes hearing from the parties.

President Isaac Herzog has received the official results of Israel's general election and is due to begin consultations with party leaders on who should be asked to try to form the next government. The move follows a hung vote in which neither the bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor the bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Herzog told party leaders that not every commitment and promise can be fulfilled if they want to avoid another election.

The Central Election Committee presented the certified results to Herzog in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning. Officials said there was no evidence of irregularities that would affect the outcome, and they rejected unsubstantiated claims from Netanyahu's camp that Arab-led parties had stolen the election. At the same time, the Shin Bet security service is investigating allegations of foreign interference, although the committee's chairman said those claims would not fundamentally change the result.

The election on 27 October left Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies with 53 seats, while Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party and three other Jewish opposition parties won 48. Two Arab-led alliances, the United Arab List and the Joint List, won 19 seats after a rise in turnout among Arab voters, making them potential kingmakers in any coalition talks. However, all but one of the Jewish parties had pledged before the vote not to work with them to form a government.

The deadlock matters because Israel's president, although largely ceremonial, plays a key role after elections by inviting a Knesset member to try to build a coalition. That person is given 28 days to secure support, with a possible 14-day extension, and the president has discretion over whom to choose. The outcome of Herzog's consultations will therefore shape whether the country moves toward a new coalition or back toward another election campaign.

The current impasse also reflects the deep divisions that have marked Israeli politics in recent years. Coalition bargaining is routine in the parliamentary system, but the balance of power in this election gives smaller parties significant leverage. The question of whether Arab-led parties can be part of the process is especially sensitive because their seats may be needed to reach the 61-seat threshold for a majority.

What remains unclear is whom Herzog will task with forming a government and whether any bloc can bridge its internal divisions. It is also not yet clear how the foreign interference inquiry may affect the political atmosphere, even if officials say it will not alter the certified result. The next stage will be the president's consultations and the response from party leaders as they decide whether to seek a coalition or prepare for another election.

Israel's opposition leaders have agreed to back former military chief Gadi Eisenkot as their candidate for prime minister, as they move to open coalition talks after the October 27 election produced no outright majority. The leaders met in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, in their first joint meeting since the vote. They said their parties would recommend Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog, who is due to begin consultations on government formation.

The bloc said negotiating teams would immediately start drafting policy guidelines and coalition agreements. In a joint statement, the leaders said they were coordinated and would act quickly to replace what they called the current government with a national emergency government. The meeting brought together Eisenkot, former prime minister Naftali Bennett, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman, Yair Golan of the Democrats, and Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid.

The bloc remains divided, however, over whether to work with Arab-led parties, whose support could prove decisive. The numbers from the election leave both main camps short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. According to the supporting material, Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats, the opposition 48, and Arab-led parties 19.

That arithmetic gives smaller parties significant leverage in the talks, even if they do not join a formal coalition. The opposition leaders also stood by four principles set out by Eisenkot, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and the designation of Hamas as a terrorist group. The development matters because it could shape who is asked to try to form the next government and whether Israel heads toward a stable coalition or another period of political deadlock.

Coalition bargaining is a familiar feature of Israel's parliamentary system, but the current round is taking place after a closely fought election and amid sharp disagreement inside the opposition itself. The question of whether Arab-led parties can be part of the process is especially significant because their seats may be needed to reach a governing majority. The talks also highlight the different strategies inside the opposition camp.

Yair Golan has openly supported cooperation with Arab-led parties, while other leaders have been more cautious. One Arab party leader said the opposition needed to accept political reality and work together to remove Netanyahu. The meeting in Herzliya was the first formal sign that the opposition is trying to turn its post-election numbers into a governing plan.

What remains unclear is whether the bloc can bridge its internal divisions and assemble enough support to govern. It is also not yet clear how Herzog will weigh the competing recommendations when he begins consultations. The next developments to watch are the outcome of the coalition talks, the president's consultations, and whether any side can secure the 61 seats needed to form a government.

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