In short
- Israeli President Isaac Herzog tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government, giving him 28 days with a possible 14-day extension.
- Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies won 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, while Eisenkot’s bloc won 48.
- The Arab-led United Arab List and Joint List won 19 seats together, an unprecedented result, positioning them as potential kingmakers.
- In Herzog’s consultations, Eisenkot received 67 recommendations for the premiership and Netanyahu 46.
- No party in Israel has ever won an outright majority in the Knesset, so every government has been a coalition.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government, after elections left neither Eisenkot’s bloc nor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s with a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Eisenkot, who heads the centrist Yashar party, has 28 days to build a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.
What did Isaac Herzog decide?
After a week of consultations with delegations from the incoming Knesset, Herzog said he would give Eisenkot the first chance to form a government. A statement from the president’s office said he had informed both Eisenkot and Netanyahu, and that Eisenkot received 67 recommendations for the premiership against 46 for Netanyahu.
Eisenkot, a former military chief, wrote on X: “Now is the time to form a national emergency government. I will do everything to ensure we are worthy.”
How many seats did each bloc win?
Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies won 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Eisenkot’s centrist Yashar party and three other Jewish opposition parties in his bloc won 48. No party in Israel has ever won an outright majority, so every government has been a coalition. Contests elsewhere have also turned on seat counts: in the United States, Democrat Annie Andrews is projected to win a South Carolina Senate seat.
Why do the Arab-led parties matter in the coalition maths?
Two Arab-led alliances, the United Arab List and the Joint List, won an unprecedented 19 seats together after a surge in turnout among Arab voters, making them potential kingmakers. However, all but one of the Jewish parties pledged before the polls not to work with them to form a government.
What are Eisenkot’s routes to a coalition?
The results implied three possible governments: a national unity administration involving both Netanyahu and Eisenkot; a right-wing coalition of Netanyahu and defectors from Eisenkot’s bloc; or an Eisenkot-led government supported by the Arab parties. Eisenkot and every member of his bloc bar one have previously refused to enter government with Arab parties, though there has been speculation that an agreement could be reached. He could also attempt a deal with ultra-Orthodox parties, which would likewise be difficult.
Herzog said during his consultations that he expected “factions and their representatives to understand that, in the current reality, not every commitment and promise can be fulfilled”, citing the need to prevent another round of elections and to build a stable government.
Has Israel had a unity government before?
There is precedent for a unity government. In 2020, after three deadlocked elections, Netanyahu and his centrist rival Benny Gantz agreed a power-sharing deal in which the leadership rotated between the two. Between 2019 and 2022, one of the most politically fractured periods in Israeli politics, Israel held five separate elections as Netanyahu and his rivals struggled time and again to co-operate. Leadership has also changed under pressure elsewhere: in Paraguay, Peña resigned as congress pursued an impeachment trial.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Gadi Eisenkot?
Gadi Eisenkot is a former military chief who leads the centrist Yashar party and the opposition bloc that won 48 seats in the Knesset. President Isaac Herzog has tasked him with forming a government.
How long does Eisenkot have to form a coalition?
Eisenkot has 28 days to form a new administration, with a potential 14-day extension.
How many seats are in the Knesset?
The Knesset has 120 seats. No party in Israel has ever won an outright majority, so all governments have been coalitions.
How did Herzog decide who should form the government?
After consulting delegations from the incoming Knesset, Herzog gave Eisenkot the first chance, with Eisenkot receiving 67 recommendations for the premiership and Benjamin Netanyahu 46. The president is not obliged to choose the leader of the largest party.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)