Israeli President Isaac Herzog has said it is “unclear” who can form the next government, after he concluded consultations with all parliamentary factions on Thursday.
Yashar’s Gadi Eisenkot secured the backing of 67 of the Knesset’s 120 members, theoretically giving him majority support, but divisions between the parties made the question of coalition building more complex.
“The results of the consultations may appear clear, but the authority vested in me by law is to determine who has the ability to form a government, and that is not entirely clear, given the mutual vetoes between the blocs and within the blocs themselves,” Herzog said.
“I will try to determine this directly and quickly, in personal talks with some of the party leaders.”
The president confirmed he would decide on Sunday who would be given the first chance to form a government.
Eisenkot, the former IDF chief and leader of the Yashar party, received recommendations from six parties, including the Arab-Israeli Ra’am and Joint List, whose support pushed him above the 61-seat threshold for a parliamentary majority.
However, several parties backing Eisenkot have ruled out governing alongside Arab parties, and some oppose even relying on their parliamentary support in a minority government.
Significantly, United Torah Judaism (UTJ), a former coalition partner of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, declined to endorse either candidate, leaving Netanyahu with just 46 recommendations.
Meanwhile, Avigdor Liberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu and one of those who objects to working with the Arab parties, reversed course on a similar pledge of non-cooperation with the Charedim, largely due to his campaign promise to pass a law requiring Charedi conscription.
Confirming the U-turn on X, he said the tight results of the elections mean that leaders must “rethink our course” and accept “painful compromises”.
He said his only red lines were now the continuation of what he called the “Netanyahu era”, another set of elections and a government that relies on the Arab parties.
“It pains me, and I know it’s painful to many others. But in light of the range of challenges we are facing today, the national interest must stand above any other consideration,” he said.
However, with Eisenkot’s bloc on 48 seats, it would need the cooperation of both UTJ and the other major Charedi party, Shas, which backed Netanyahu for prime minister, to achieve a majority.
Such a coalition could then pass legislation without relying on the Arab parties’ collective 19 seats, but this would only be the case as long as all Charedi MKs voted for it or enough Arab MKs abstained to cancel out any defections.
Describing his consultations, Herzog said: “The discussions were open, candid, and also probing. I asked difficult questions in an effort to help the parties and the public to break free from set ways of thinking and open their minds to other paths.”
He pledged to “leave no stone unturned” in his efforts to secure a stable government.
Under Israeli law, the candidate receiving the mandate has 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension. After that, a second candidate is given the same chance, but if they are unsuccessful, then new elections are held.
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