Herzog to meet Israeli election rivals as decision nears on path to power

Herzog is about to choose which candidate should first try to form Israel’s next government. He is due to meet Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot before making that decision. The choice matters because the election produced no clear winner with enough support to govern alone.

Netanyahu remains prime minister in a caretaker government, and his Likud party won the most seats. However, his nationalist-religious coalition fell from 68 seats to 53 in the 120-seat Knesset. Eisenkot’s Change bloc holds 48 seats. Neither bloc reaches a majority, so both must seek partners.

The president’s role is mostly ceremonial, but the political system gives him responsibility for selecting the candidate with the best initial chance of building a stable coalition. If Herzog’s chosen candidate fails, the process can move toward another candidate or another election. Herzog has urged parties to prevent a further vote.

A coalition government is an agreement among multiple parties to share enough parliamentary support to govern. It becomes necessary when no party or bloc wins more than half the seats. In Israel, the Knesset has 120 seats, so a governing candidate generally needs support from at least 61 members.

The election left Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats and Eisenkot’s bloc with 48. The Palestinian-led parties hold 19 seats between them. That means neither main bloc can command a majority without additional partners, formal agreements, or tactical support from other parties.

Majority support matters because the government must pass laws, approve budgets, and survive votes in the Knesset. A coalition can sometimes govern with outside support, but it remains vulnerable if that support disappears. The article describes Herzog’s goal as finding a candidate able to build a stable coalition, not merely a temporary parliamentary alliance.

Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious coalition won 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats. Eisenkot’s Change bloc of Zionist parties won 48. Parties representing Israeli Palestinians won the remaining 19 seats, leaving all three groupings short of a majority on their own.

The Palestinian-led seats are divided between the Joint List, with 11 seats, and Ra’am, a more conservative Islamist party, with eight. Together, those figures account for the 19 seats that could determine whether either main bloc can assemble a governing majority.

The numbers explain why the election has produced negotiations rather than an immediate government. Netanyahu’s bloc is the largest of the two main blocs, but it lost its previous majority. Eisenkot’s bloc is smaller, yet it could gain power if it secures support from Palestinian-led parties and other smaller parties. The final outcome depends on coalition agreements and parliamentary backing.

Parties representing Israeli Palestinians became potential kingmakers because their combined 19 seats could supply the support that both main blocs lack. Netanyahu’s coalition has 53 seats, and Eisenkot’s Change bloc has 48. Neither reaches the 61 seats generally needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

The shift was powered by turnout among Arab Israelis, Palestinians with Israeli citizenship who make up 20% of Israel’s population. Their turnout more than doubled, reaching about 80%. The Joint List won 11 seats, while Ra’am won eight. Together, these parties hold a record 19 seats.

Their influence is not automatic. The Joint List has suggested outside opposition support and tactical voting, while Ra’am has said it would join an Eisenkot-led government. Eisenkot has also imposed conditions on Arab parties, making negotiations difficult. Their decisions could determine whether Israel gets a new coalition or returns to elections.

Eisenkot has set three conditions for any coalition involving Arab parties. They must recognise that Israel is a Jewish state, accept compulsory national service, whether civil or military, and denounce Hamas as a terrorist organisation. These requirements are designed to define the terms of cooperation before any agreement is made.

The conditions matter because Palestinian-led parties hold 19 seats, enough to become central coalition partners. Ra’am has said it would join a government led by Eisenkot. The Joint List, however, has suggested supporting an opposition from outside through tactical voting. That gives Eisenkot possible support, but not necessarily a formal coalition.

The demands may therefore help Eisenkot reassure Zionist parties while making an agreement harder. The article reports disagreements between Yousef Jabareen and Eisenkot on many issues. Any coalition deal must bridge those differences while winning enough parliamentary backing to create a stable government.

If Herzog’s chosen candidate cannot build a stable coalition, the government-formation process can fail. The article states that another election must be held if no candidate succeeds. This would extend the political uncertainty created by an election in which neither main bloc won a governing majority.

Until a new coalition is formed or another election takes place, Netanyahu remains prime minister in a caretaker government. His coalition has 53 seats, down from 68, while Eisenkot’s bloc has 48. The two sides therefore need support from smaller parties, especially Palestinian-led parties holding 19 seats.

Herzog has urged all parties to help avoid another vote, pointing to security, diplomatic, regional, and internal social challenges. The possibility of another election also raises the stakes in negotiations. Parties must decide whether to join a government, support it from outside, or reject both main candidates.

Under Israel’s proportional representation system, voters choose parties rather than directly selecting a prime minister. Knesset seats are then distributed among those parties according to their electoral support. Because several parties can win representation, a single party often cannot govern alone.

This election shows the mechanism clearly. Netanyahu’s coalition won 53 seats, Eisenkot’s Change bloc won 48, and Palestinian-led parties won 19. The largest bloc therefore does not automatically take power. It must negotiate with smaller parties or seek outside support to reach a working majority.

The president’s role follows from that system. Herzog decides which candidate has the best initial chance of building a stable coalition. That candidate must then bargain over policies and ministerial arrangements. If negotiations fail, Israel remains under a caretaker government and must hold another election. The result is a parliamentary contest followed by coalition-building rather than a direct prime-ministerial victory.