Eisenkot leads Herzog's consultations with 67 recommendations to Netanyahu's 46

Consultations point to Eisenkot

Israeli President Isaac Herzog closed two days of consultations with the parties elected on 27 October, and 67 members of the Knesset recommended Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief of staff who leads the opposition alliance, to form the next government. Benjamin Netanyahu received 46 recommendations. Seven lawmakers from United Torah Judaism, the ultra-Orthodox alliance that backed Netanyahu for decades, abstained, so neither leader reached the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat chamber. Herzog said the consultations produced a clear result, but that the law obliges him to judge whether a government can actually be formed, a question he described as far from settled because the blocs exclude one another. He plans further direct talks with party leaders before naming his choice on Sunday, 8 November.

Gadi Eisenkot67

Benjamin Netanyahu46

Gadi Eisenkot

67 recommendations

Benjamin Netanyahu

46 recommendations

Data from the article text

Arab parties tip the balance

The Arab parties, which won a record 19 seats between them, have backed Eisenkot. Ra'am, which holds eight seats, recommended him first, and on Thursday the Joint List, with 11 seats, announced its own support. Netanyahu's coalition fell from 68 seats to 53, while Likud alone won 27. Turnout among Arab Israelis, who make up about 20% of the population, more than doubled to roughly 80%. The Joint List's leader, Yousef Jabareen, framed the choice as a rejection of the current government rather than an endorsement of Eisenkot.

“We are not choosing between good and better but between what we see as bad and even worse”

Eisenkot has set conditions for any coalition with Arab parties: they must recognise Israel as a Jewish state, accept compulsory civil or military national service, and denounce Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Ahmed Tibi said his group backed Eisenkot to end the present government rather than out of close political ties, and that it does not seek ministerial posts. Ra'am has said it would join an Eisenkot-led government, while the Joint List has indicated it would support one from outside.

Netanyahu-led bloc53

Eisenkot's Change bloc48

Arab parties19

Netanyahu-led bloc

53 seats

Eisenkot's Change bloc

48 seats

Arab parties

19 seats

Data from the article text

Netanyahu and the US factor

Netanyahu has long presented himself as the guarantor of strong ties with Washington, but the defeat of Donald Trump's Republican Party in the US midterms has weakened that argument. Trump endorsed Netanyahu before the Israeli vote, and early analysis of the Republican losses has focused partly on the war with Iran and on the relationship with Israel, points that Vice President JD Vance highlighted. Yair Lapid, a former prime minister whose party belongs to the bloc seeking to unseat Netanyahu, argued in a social media post that US voters were mainly against Netanyahu. Avigdor Lieberman wrote that the price of Trump's support was $3.8bn a year, echoing a suspicion held by many Israelis that the announced end of US military aid had been traded for the endorsement.

What happens next

Under established practice the mandate usually goes to the candidate with the most recommendations, although Herzog has the final say. The mandate lasts 28 days, with an option of a two-week extension, and if it fails he can hand it to someone else. Netanyahu stays prime minister until a new government takes office. Herzog must name his candidate by 11 November, and the Guardian reports that he has called on all parties to help avoid a new election.