Herzog says Israel government path remains unclear despite Eisenkot’s lead
Gadi Eisenkot received recommendations from factions representing 67 lawmakers, but President Isaac Herzog cited mutual vetoes and said he would decide on Sunday whom to ask to form a government.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Thursday, 5 November, that it remained unclear who could form the next government after two days of consultations with parties elected to the Knesset, according to Hindustan Times’ PTI-credited report. Herzog said he would task a lawmaker with forming a government on Sunday, leaving the decision unresolved after Gadi Eisenkot received more recommendations than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Herzog said factions representing 67 lawmakers recommended Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar! party, while factions representing 46 recommended Netanyahu. “The results of the consultations may appear clear,” Herzog said, but mutual vetoes “between the blocs and within the blocs themselves” meant it was not clear who had the ability to form a government, the report said. He said he had asked difficult questions to help parties and the public “open their minds to other paths.”
How the Knesset numbers shape the choice
The 27 October election left Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats and the anti-Netanyahu bloc with 48 in the 120-seat Knesset; Arab parties held the remaining 19, according to PTI. United Torah Judaism, which had previously backed Netanyahu, declined to recommend a lawmaker, reducing the recommendations for the incumbent to 46. The Guardian described Herzog’s role as choosing the candidate with the best initial chance of building a stable coalition.
The Arab-led Joint List, which holds 11 seats, said it would recommend Eisenkot, and Ra’am, with eight seats, also endorsed him, AFP reported. The Guardian reported that the Joint List had proposed supporting an opposition from outside through tactical voting, while Ra’am had said it would join an Eisenkot-led government. The two parties’ support therefore does not by itself settle how they might participate in a governing arrangement.
Coalition partners face competing demands
Eisenkot has set conditions for a possible coalition with Arab parties, the Guardian reported. AFP said working with those parties could cost him support from some opposition allies, including Avigdor Liberman. The Guardian reported that neither major bloc won a majority, leaving coalition-building uncertain even with the recommendations tallied.
Herzog said he planned personal talks with some party leaders before deciding whom to task on Sunday, according to PTI. Once given the mandate, a lawmaker would have 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension, AFP reported. If that attempt failed, Herzog could ask another lawmaker to try.
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Sources and context
- Not clear who can form a government, says Herzog following consultationsHindustan Times; article credits PTI and says it was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications
- Herzog to meet Israeli election rivals as decision nears on path to powerThe Guardian
- Gadi Eisenkot tipped to seek Israel government with backing of Arab listsDawn; AFP report
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.