President Herzog Begins Coalition Talks After Accepting Election Results
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Israel's President Isaac Herzog has certified the parliamentary election outcome and started consultations with party leaders to determine who will be tasked with forming the next government.
President Isaac Herzog announced that he has accepted the certified results of the October 27 parliamentary election and has begun meetings with party leaders to decide which politician will be given the mandate to form a government.
The vote left neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc with the 61 seats needed for a majority. Netanyahu’s coalition secured 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s bloc obtained 48, while Arab-led parties Ra’am and the Joint List together won a record 19 seats.
Herzog said, "> The elections are over. Now is the time to face reality," and urged both sides to seek a compromise that would avoid a new election.
Three parties aligned with Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist base have recommended that he be given the first opportunity to build a coalition, while a fourth faction led by a former ally of Netanyahu supports Eisenkot. Eight additional parties, including the two Arab-led groups, are scheduled to meet the president, with Eisenkot’s Yashar party and Netanyahu’s Likud slated to appear later in the day.
Ra’am has indicated it will recommend Eisenkot, raising his potential support to 56 lawmakers, still short of a majority. The Joint List has not yet declared its position, but its 11 seats could enable Eisenkot to reach the required 61 if it chooses to endorse him or abstain.
Degel HaTorah, representing part of United Torah Judaism, said it would not recommend either candidate, citing disagreement over legislation concerning military service exemptions for Haredi men.
After the consultations, Herzog will select the candidate he believes is best placed to assemble a coalition, most likely either Netanyahu or Eisenkot. The chosen nominee will have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to form a government; failure to do so could trigger a new election early next year.
The elections commission reported that its investigation found no evidence of irregularities that would have affected the results, and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected a request to question elected officials without supporting evidence. Herzog also called for an investigation into suspected interference while condemning “coarseness and racist expressions” directed at Israel’s Palestinian minority, which he said he respects.