Israel: Gadi Eisenkot gets 67 recommendations to form government against Netanyahu’s 46
United Torah Judaism recommended neither candidate, and Herzog said vetoes between the blocs leave it unclear who can build a coalition.
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Gadi Eisenkot, leader of Israel’s Yashar! party, won the backing of 67 lawmakers to form the next government after consultations with President Isaac Herzog, against 46 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Herzog said on Thursday, 5 November 2026, that he would announce on Sunday, 8 November, whom he will task with forming a government.
What happened in Herzog’s consultations with Gadi Eisenkot and Netanyahu
Herzog met every party elected to the 26th Knesset over two days. Yisrael Beytenu, the Joint List, Ra’am, The Democrats, Together and Yashar! recommended Eisenkot. Likud, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, Shas and Zehut recommended Netanyahu. United Torah Judaism backed neither, Ynet reported.
A majority in the 120-seat Knesset is 61. Eisenkot’s 67 includes 48 lawmakers from Jewish-led opposition parties and the 19 seats of the Arab-led parties Ra’am and the Joint List.
Herzog said the numbers did not settle the question. “The results of the consultations appear clear on the surface, but the authority granted to me by law requires me to examine the ability to form a government,” he said.
Key numbers
- 67: lawmakers recommending Eisenkot.
- 46: lawmakers recommending the outgoing prime minister.
- 61: seats needed for a majority.
- 7: seats held by the ultra-Orthodox party that recommended no one (JNS).
- 2015: the last time a candidate received as many recommendations, according to Yashar!.
Background: Knesset vetoes and coalition maths
Eisenkot, a former defence chief, wants to form what he calls a national emergency government. Herzog warned that “mutual disqualifications between the blocs and within the blocs themselves” made it unclear whether anyone could build a working coalition. Several parties have ruled out sitting with others in the same camp.
Herzog said he would speak to party leaders one by one before Sunday and would “turn every stone” to encourage them to cooperate on a stable government.
What people said
Yashar! said the Likud leader was now a caretaker prime minister with a minority of 46 and no mandate. It urged Herzog to give Eisenkot the mandate quickly, warning that delay could lead to another election.
Likud’s Yoav Kisch told Herzog that Likud is the largest party in Israel and warned against a government that depends on the support of Arab parties. He said the next government must keep working against Iran’s nuclear programme and the creation of a Palestinian state.
What happens next
Herzog will name his choice on Sunday. If Gadi Eisenkot gets the first attempt, his challenge will be to hold together parties that have ruled each other out, while Netanyahu stays on as caretaker prime minister. More world news is in our World Affairs section and on the World edition home.
A government led by Eisenkot would end Netanyahu's long hold on power and could change Israel's approach to Gaza, Iran and relations with the Arab world, all of which affect India's ties and the region's stability. But his majority relies on Arab-led parties and on rivals who have vetoed each other, so a quick coalition is far from certain and another election remains possible.