Netanyahu and Eisenkot scramble for coalition deals after voters reject a clear mandate
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot now have to stitch together alliances after a fragmented Israeli election left neither bloc close to a majority, raising the prospect of yet another vote if political bartering fails.
Jerusalem – Israel’s latest election left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp with 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc with 48, a result that exposes the paralysis of a political system too divided to produce a clear governing mandate and still short of the 61 needed for a majority. President Isaac Herzog said a new vote must be avoided, putting pressure on both leaders to bargain with potential partners in a frantic effort to assemble a coalition.
Netanyahu’s Likud party secured 27 seats, but he will need to approach opposition groups, including the left-wing Democrats (8 seats) and right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu (7 seats). Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu said on Oct 29 that “the only conceivable coalition” excludes Netanyahu, though he indicated tolerance for other Likud members. The stance of Naftali Bennett’s Together party (12 seats) remains uncertain after mixed signals about conditions for cooperation.
Eisenkot, who ruled out any rotation of the prime ministership, can either form a minority government supported from outside or broaden his coalition by courting Arab-majority lists – Raam (8 seats) and the Joint List (11 seats). Raam leader Mansour Abbas expressed willingness to join a coalition, while Joint List member Yousef Jabareen said he would support Eisenkot in parliament without joining the cabinet.
Both sides also consider courting ultra-Orthodox parties that currently back Netanyahu (13 seats). Eisenkot has advocated ending military service exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox, a policy those parties oppose, but they might shift if concessions are offered.
If neither leader assembles a stable coalition, Israel could be forced to hold another election.