Israeli President to Name Coalition Bidder on Sunday as Netanyahu’s Grip Meets Democratic Resistance
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President Isaac Herzog will choose on Sunday who gets the first chance to form a coalition after Israel’s November 27 election failed to produce a majority. The consultations revealed deep bloc divisions, with 67 lawmakers backing Gadi Eisenkot and 46 backing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Herzog will speak with party leaders before deciding, while Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister. Likud won the most seats, but Netanyahu’s bloc fell short of a majority, and his accusations of vote tampering were rejected by election officials.
President Isaac Herzog announced he will nominate a candidate on Sunday to attempt to build a governing coalition after Israel's November 27 election produced no clear winner. Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, said the consultations with parliamentary factions showed "mutual vetoes between the blocs and within the blocs themselves," making it hard to determine who has the best chance to form a government.
During talks on Wednesday and Thursday, 67 of the 120 Knesset members backed former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, while 46 supported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Herzog said he will hold personal talks with party leaders over the Israeli weekend (Friday-Saturday) before making his decision.
The nominee will have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to assemble a coalition. Netanyahu will remain caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed or a fresh election is called if no candidate succeeds.
Netanyahu's Likud party won the most seats (27), but its broader religious-nationalist bloc secured 53 of 120 seats. Eisenkot's anti-Netanyahu alliance captured 48 seats, while two Arab-minority parties together won a record 19 seats. United Torah Judaism, a longtime Netanyahu ally, declined to recommend any candidate during Herzog's talks. Both Eisenkot and Netanyahu have so far ruled out partnering with the Arab-led parties, though the Arab factions endorsed Eisenkot, giving him a majority of endorsements.
Netanyahu has questioned the election's integrity, alleging vote tampering by Arab parties, a claim rejected by Israel's Central Election Committee. Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who heads the committee, urged officials to protect public trust and warned that undermining the peaceful transfer of power threatens democracy.