In brief
The latest Israeli election failed to grant any bloc a 61‑seat majority. President Herzog must award a mandate by 10 November, giving a newly elected Knesset member 28 days to assemble a coalition – a time that may be extended. Possible leaders include Benjamin Netanyahu and former general Gadi Eisenkot, though the latter’s appeal to Arab‑led parties remains uncertain.
The 2026 Israeli general election ended with every major bloc falling short of the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120‑seat Knesset, setting the stage for a protracted coalition‑search that will be overseen by President Isaac Herzog. The results, according to Al Jazeera, show the pro‑Netanyahu coalition securing 53 seats while the anti‑Netanyahu Jewish bloc took 48 seats and Arab‑led parties combined for 19, leaving a clear vacuum for any new government.
Specifically, the pro‑Netanyahu bloc comprises Likud’s 27 seats, United Torah Judaism’s seven, Otzma Yehudit’s seven, Shas’s six and Religious Zionism’s six. The opposition bloc gathers Yashar’s 21 seats, B’Yachad’s 12, The Democrats’ eight and Yisrael Beytenu’s seven. The Joint List, a coalition of Arab parties, won 11 seats and Ra’am secured eight more.
Al Jazeera notes that each bloc sits below the 61‑seat threshold, meaning coalition agreements will require cross‑bloc collaboration or a realignment of smaller parties. The fragmentation underscores the growing political polarisation that has dominated Israeli politics since the late 2010s.
The legal sequence demanding a new government begins with the official certification of the election results. According to the source, these results must be presented to President Herzog by November 4, after which the Knesset’s first session is scheduled for November 10. Herzog is then expected to grant a mandate to a Knesset member by November 11, a process that historically has allowed him to exercise discretion on who receives the task of forming a government.
Once nominated, the appointed Knesset member receives twenty‑eight days to negotiate a coalition, with the possibility of an additional fourteen‑day extension if deadlock persists. Al Jazeera’s analysis places the window as a potential “tight squeeze,” stressing that the window’s statutory length will test the ability of Israeli parties to forge concessions rapidly.
Al Jazeera, drawing from a Yedioth Ahronoth report, indicates that the most likely candidates to receive Herzog’s mandate are former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who heads the Yashar party. Eisenkot’s Yashar received 21 seats, the highest within the anti‑Netanyahu bloc, and is perceived by some analysts as a more palatable choice for Arab‑led parties that might consider endorsing him to remove Netanyahu from power.
Herzog has, in public statements, urged politicians to look beyond entrenched partisan divisions and to “seek creative solutions” that will avoid another election cycle. Al Jazeera quotes Herzog saying that he would be willing to press for a national unity arrangement should such a proposal come from the parties sat on the Knesset floor, a stance that signals strategic flexibility but also reveals the uncertainty surrounding a coalition’s composition.
Coalition Negotiations
As the days progress, analysts expect the primary focus to be on the negotiation space where Likud, Yashar, and the Arab‑led parties must align on key policy pillars. Al Jazeera points out that the feasibility of a unity government hinges on whether parties can bridge seemingly irreconcilable policy divides over security, immigration, and settlement expansion. The appointment of a Kameron might also be contingent on the level of mutual trust developed during the collective preparation period that begins immediately after Herzog’s selection.
Potential Leadership Paths
Whether Netanyahu or Eisenkot is chosen, each scenario carries distinct political implications. A Netanyahu‑led coalition would likely resemble past governments, re‑establishing his pro‑security, pro‑settlement stance. With Eisenkot, the coalition might lean towards a more moderate profile, especially if Arab‑led parties endorse his candidacy to break the status quo. However, Al Jazeera underscores that the latter outcome remains speculative, as the Yashar’s performance did not secure an outright majority and would still require substantial alliances outside its bloc.
The open question now is whether a new government can materialise within the statutory allocations or whether repeated deadlock will push Israel toward a fresh election. The former would assume that the parties successfully navigate the complex web of promises and coalition demands. The latter would reflect a scenario where Herzog finds it impossible to justify a mandate within the allotted timeframe, potentially leading to a resignation of the current Knesset or a new electoral mandate.
In all likelihood, the immediate next steps will involve Herzog’s selection, the Knesset’s convening, and an intense negotiating marathon over the coming weeks, all of which will be closely monitored by Israeli media and the international community. The outcome will shape not only domestic political trajectories but also Israel’s role in regional dynamics.
