Herzog Starts Consultations as Israel Seeks a Government That Puts National Security First
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President Isaac Herzog opened talks with party leaders to decide who will receive the mandate to form Israel’s next government after the October 27 election failed to produce a majority, with pressure mounting to build a strong coalition and keep hostile forces out of power.
President Isaac Herzog, who holds a largely ceremonial role but decides which leader gets the first chance to form a government, began a two-day series of consultations on Wednesday following the official receipt of the October 27 election results. The talks started with the ultranationalist Religious Zionism party, as Herzog’s office said it wanted to hear views from smaller factions before meeting the two largest blocs – Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and Yashar, a centrist-right opposition party founded by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot commands the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset. Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s party has 48. Eisenkot could reach the threshold by allying with Arab-minority parties, which increased to 19 seats, though some opposition members have expressed reluctance to rely on non-Jewish lawmakers. Netanyahu has called for a broad coalition that excludes Arab lists, accusing those groups of “stealing” votes.
The attorney general has asked the Shin Bet intelligence agency to share any findings on alleged electoral fraud by Arab parties, noting that no evidence has been presented so far. Arab-Israeli leaders have rejected the fraud claims, and Eisenkot accused Netanyahu and Likud of attempting a “pogrom against democracy.”
Herzog, a former Labour Party member now serving as a nonpartisan president, said he aims to encourage “fresh thinking” and avoid another election.
"It is important to exhaust every option, broaden the dialogue and explore every path that may advance the process," his office said.
If Herzog assigns a mandate, the designated leader will have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to assemble a coalition. Failure would lead to a new mandate for another candidate, and if that also fails, lawmakers could nominate a prime minister within 21 days or trigger fresh elections. The previous government formation after the November 2022 election took 58 days. Israel has held five elections between 2019 and 2022 due to repeated deadlocks that repeatedly left the country without a firm governing direction.