Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership faces a pivotal moment as President Isaac Herzog consults party leaders to determine who will be tasked with forming Israel’s next government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s grip on power will be tested as President Isaac Herzog embarks on consultations with leaders from all parties elected to the 26th Knesset. This process will help determine which lawmaker will be given the mandate to form the next government.
According to the final vote count released by Israel’s Central Elections Committee last Friday, Netanyahu’s political bloc secured 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset. In contrast, the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot garnered 48 seats. A minimum of 61 seats is required to form a government.
In a post on X, Netanyahu expressed his belief that “the public in Israel does not want a government that depends on Ra’am and the Joint List—parties that support terrorism and reject the existence of the Jewish state.” He emphasized that a clear majority of the Jewish public chose Likud as the largest party and himself as prime minister, stating, “We aspire to form a broad government with our partners and with any party that wishes to do so and does not support terrorism.”
The Joint List and Ra’am, two predominantly Arab parties, achieved a historic combined total of 19 seats, potentially positioning them as pivotal players in the government formation process. A source from the Joint List indicated that the alliance is likely to endorse Eisenkot as the first lawmaker tasked with forming a government. If both Arab parties support him, he could receive recommendations from parties representing more than the necessary 61 seats.
The lawmaker chosen to form a government will have 28 days to do so, with the president having the authority to grant an extension of up to 14 additional days. Consultations will take place in ascending order of seat count, starting with Religious Zionism-Zehut and Shas, each of which secured six seats, followed by Yisrael Beiteinu with seven seats.
On Thursday, Herzog is scheduled to meet with the leaders of United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit, both of which won seven seats, followed by The Democrats and Ra’am, each with eight seats, the Joint List with 11 seats, BeYachad with 12, Yashar with 21, and Likud with 27.
Amir Oren, a defense and government affairs commentator, noted that while Herzog has the formal authority to choose whom to task with forming a government, he is likely to select a candidate backed by parties representing a majority of Knesset seats. “He must then task Eisenkot with forming the next government. That does not mean Eisenkot will succeed. If he fails, he will have to return the mandate to the president,” Oren explained.
Eisenkot may face challenges in assembling a 61-seat governing coalition due to competing interests within the opposition bloc. Leaders Naftali Bennett of BeYachad and Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beiteinu are unlikely to agree to a government that relies on the Joint List, given its pro-Palestinian stance and opposition to Zionism. However, it remains theoretically possible for the opposition bloc to form a minority government with support from the Arab parties.
While Israel has no precedent for forming a minority government immediately following an election, such arrangements have occurred during a Knesset term. For example, during Netanyahu’s current term, one of the ultra-Orthodox parties withdrew from the coalition over a military conscription dispute but continued to support the government from outside.
Religious Zionism-Zehut, Otzma Yehudit, and Shas confirmed to Fox News Digital that they would recommend Netanyahu to Herzog during the consultations. Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, remarked that Bennett and Liberman’s recent endorsement of Eisenkot indicates a shift away from the idea of a national unity government.
“I think it would be wise for Netanyahu, Eisenkot, Bennett, and Liberman to find a way to collaborate now, especially given the looming threat posed by the Iranian regime,” Diker stated.
Complicating matters for Netanyahu, the 26th Knesset is set to be sworn in on November 10. Newly elected members are expected to begin forming committees and advancing legislation while the current prime minister and ministers continue their duties under the oversight of the new parliament, ensuring continuity in governance.
Former Knesset member Dov Lipman suggested that Eisenkot is likely to be the first lawmaker tasked with forming a government. He noted that most Israelis seem to favor a national unity government involving Likud, Yashar, and BeYachad, along with one or more smaller parties. “Eisenkot may initially approach Likud to join a government under his leadership, but Likud will likely reject this proposal,” Lipman said.
If Eisenkot fails to form a government, the mandate would then pass to Netanyahu, who may also struggle to secure a coalition. This scenario could trigger a 21-day period during which any Knesset member could attempt to form a government with the backing of at least 61 lawmakers. Lipman speculated that Eisenkot might agree to serve under Netanyahu for two years to avoid another election.
Prof. Gideon Rahat, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, indicated that Netanyahu would need to make concessions to persuade opposition leaders of his commitment, given their past experiences with the 2020 power-sharing agreement with then-Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz. Under that agreement, Netanyahu was to serve as prime minister for the first 18 months, with Gantz as alternate prime minister and defense minister before taking over as premier. However, the arrangement collapsed after the government failed to pass a state budget by the December 2020 deadline, leading to new elections.
Rahat pointed to Israel’s 1984-1988 national unity government as a potential model for the current situation, suggesting that a similar arrangement could be effective. “At that time, Israel was embroiled in the Lebanon War and facing severe economic challenges. Likud and Labor formed a national unity government under a rotation agreement,” he noted.
While a significant portion of the public might support such a coalition, Rahat acknowledged that tensions could arise over key issues. “They will need to address the judicial overhaul initiated by Netanyahu’s government, find a way to investigate the events of October 7, and agree on a mechanism for Netanyahu’s eventual departure from office. However, unity governments can be quite effective in addressing major security and economic challenges,” he concluded.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, the coming days will be critical in determining the future direction of Israel’s government.
According to Fox News Digital.