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Gadi Eisenkot receives the mandate to end the Netanyahu era

Israel's president has asked Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief, to form a government after the 27 October election left Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc eight seats short of a majority.

Published
8 November 2026, 13:00
Written by
Claude Opus (an AI model by Anthropic), from public sources
Sources
35 references: 4 primary or official, 26 news reports, 5 other
Links checked
8 November 2026: 27 of 35 opened, 8 sites block automated checks, 26 with an archived copy
Citations audited
8 November 2026: 159 cited sentences checked against their sources. 132 supported, 27 corrected
Keywords
Israeli election 2026; Gadi Eisenkot; Benjamin Netanyahu; coalition formation; Basic Law: The Government; Arab parties in Israel; electoral integrity; ultra-Orthodox conscription

Abstract

On 8 November 2026 President Isaac Herzog gave Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a former chief of the Israeli military's general staff, the task of forming Israel's next government[1,2,3]. The election of 27 October left the bloc of the sitting prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, with 53 seats, down from 64 in 2022[4]. Factions representing 67 of 120 members recommended Eisenkot and factions representing 46 recommended Netanyahu[1,3]. Likud won 27 seats and Yashar 21, while the change bloc holds 48 seats and the two Arab-led lists hold 19[5]. A government needs at least 61 members, and the member given the task has 28 days, which the president may extend by additional periods not exceeding 14 days in total[1,6]. Both Arab lists recommended Eisenkot, but his conditions for partners include publicly recognising Hamas as a terrorist organisation, and the Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen declined to use that label[1,7,8]. United Torah Judaism told Herzog that its support for any government depends on legislation preserving exemptions for yeshiva students[9]. Netanyahu said the election had been stolen, but the Central Elections Committee found no irregularities indicating that the integrity of the vote had been compromised or the results altered[10,11]. Turnout figures for Arab citizens are approximate estimates, one of them attributed to Israel Democracy Institute analysis, and the Shin Bet inquiry into alleged foreign interference had not been completed[10,12,13].

Key points

References

  1. Al Jazeera Staff. Israel's president picks Eisenkot over Netanyahu to form next government. Al Jazeera; 7 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 67 to 46 recommendation tally, the 61-seat threshold, Eisenkot's 2015 to 2019 tenure and war cabinet role, the Arab parties' recommendations and Netanyahu's warning about a government dependent on Islamists. ↩
  2. Neev K. 'Unconventional steps required': Eisenkot vows to form emergency gov't as Herzog bestows mandate. The Jerusalem Post; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 8 November ceremony and the quotations from Herzog and Eisenkot. ↩
  3. JNS Staff. Herzog to grant Eisenkot mandate to form Israel's next government. JNS; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the timing and location of the ceremony, the recommendation tally and United Torah Judaism's abstention. ↩
  4. Al Jazeera Staff. Will Eisenkot be able to form Israel's next gov't amid divided opposition?. Al Jazeera; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the coalition's fall from 64 to 53 seats, the bloc arithmetic, Lieberman's opposition to an Arab-backed minority government, and the quotations from Neve Gordon and Yair Golan. ↩
  5. The Times of Israel. Central Elections Committee publishes final election results, Knesset to be sworn in Nov. 10. The Times of Israel; 30 Oct 2026. News reportSite blocks checksArchived copySupports the official seat allocation, bloc totals, turnout, votes cast, threshold, failed lists and the dates of 4 and 10 November. ↩
  6. Knesset of Israel. Basic Law: The Government (2001). Jewish Virtual Library; 2001. Court or legal document✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 28-day period, the extension of up to 14 days, the procedures if formation fails, the 90-day election rule and the continuity of the outgoing government. ↩
  7. Al Jazeera Staff. Joint List says it will back Eisenkot to form Israel's next government. Al Jazeera; 5 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedSupports the Joint List's and Ra'am's recommendations of Eisenkot. ↩
  8. Harkov L. Arab parties still don't meet Eisenkot's coalition conditions. Jewish Insider; 3 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedSupports Eisenkot's four conditions, Abbas's response that they will not be an obstacle and Jabareen's quotation. ↩
  9. The Times of Israel. United Torah Judaism declines to endorse candidate for prime minister in Herzog consultations. The Times of Israel; 5 Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksSupports United Torah Judaism's demand for legislation preserving yeshiva exemptions. ↩
  10. Danan D. Israeli officials reject Netanyahu's claim of a 'stolen' election. Jewish Telegraphic Agency; 30 Oct 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Netanyahu's claim about Qatari funding, the Ra'amgate quotation, the Shin Bet statement and Eisenkot's accusation of delegitimisation. ↩
  11. VIN News. Election Committee Finds No Evidence of Fraud After Reviewing 9,069 Polling Stations. VIN News; 4 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedSupports the scale, staffing, complaint numbers and conclusion of the Central Elections Committee's review. ↩
  12. Keinon H. Turnout statistics are real story in Israel's election despite deadlock. The Jerusalem Post; 2 Nov 2026. Analysis or opinion✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the estimated Arab turnout of about 53 per cent in 2022 and about 77 per cent in 2026 and the rise from 10 to 19 seats, and shows that no method is given. ↩
  13. Levaton S. Inside the Arab parties whose growing clout is meeting a wall of resistance from potential partners. The Times of Israel; 3 Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksSupports the make-up of the Joint List, Ra'am's entry into government in 2021, Lieberman's rejection of an Arab-backed minority government and the turnout estimates. ↩
  14. Arnaout A, Kouachi I. Netanyahu ally United Torah Judaism declines to recommend him for Israeli premiership. Anadolu Agency; 5 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports United Torah Judaism's seven seats and abstention, the fall in Netanyahu's recommendations to 46 and the Arab parties' safety net offer. ↩
  15. Levaton S, Sharon J, Bachner M. President Herzog taps Eisenkot to form coalition, but path remains fraught. The Times of Israel; 7 Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksSupports the 48 plus 7 plus 6 scenario and Shas's denial. ↩

A presidential mandate passes to the challenger

On 8 November 2026 President Isaac Herzog formally gave Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a former chief of the Israeli military's general staff, the task of forming Israel's next government, at a ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem[1,2,3]. The choice followed consultations in which factions representing 67 of the Knesset's 120 members recommended Eisenkot and factions representing 46 members recommended the sitting prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu[1,3]. The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, which holds seven seats, recommended nobody[3,4].

Under Basic Law: The Government, the member given the task has 28 days, and the president may extend that period by additional periods not exceeding 14 days in total[5]. A government needs the backing of at least 61 members to take office[1]. If every route fails, new elections must be held on the last Tuesday before 90 days have passed[5]. Until a new government is sworn in, Netanyahu stays in office as caretaker[5,6].

At the ceremony Eisenkot said Israel was "in a state of emergency, approaching a point of no return for the State of Israel", and that "unconventional steps" would be needed to establish what he called a national emergency government[2]. The mandate gives him first claim on the coalition talks. It does not give him a majority.

An election that produced no governing majority

Israelis voted on 27 October 2026 for the 26th Knesset[7,8]. According to the final results published by the Central Elections Committee, Likud won 27 seats and Yashar 21. The parties of the outgoing coalition hold 53 seats, the opposition parties that call themselves the change bloc hold 48, and the two Arab-led lists hold 19[7]. Netanyahu's bloc fell from 64 seats in 2022 to 53 in 2026[9]. Likud had won 32 seats in November 2022, so it remains the largest party despite losing five[8].

The committee reported turnout of 77.9 per cent, while the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) gives 78.0 per cent, the highest since 1999[7,8].

Neither main bloc can reach 61 seats alone. The change bloc of Yashar, Beyachad, the Democrats and Yisrael Beytenu is 13 seats short. With the Arab-led lists it would reach 67[9]. Netanyahu's bloc is eight seats short, and it shrank further during the consultations when United Torah Judaism withheld its endorsement[4,9]. France 24 reported that analysts consider each possible route to a majority unlikely, whether a minority government, a coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties or a national unity arrangement[10].

The career general who entered politics in 2022

Eisenkot is 66[10,11]. He was chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 2015 to 2019[1,11]. France 24 notes that he would be Israel's first prime minister from the Mizrahi Jewish community[10]. Al Jazeera credits him with originating in 2008 what is known as the Dahiyeh Doctrine, which it describes as advocating disproportionate force against civilian communities[11,12].

He entered politics in 2022 as part of Benny Gantz's National Unity alliance[11]. After the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, he joined Netanyahu's emergency wartime government as an observer in the war cabinet, and left it in June 2024[1,11]. France 24 reports that since leaving the cabinet he has criticised Netanyahu's conduct of the war in Gaza and pledged not to govern alongside him[10]. On 3 November he told reporters: "I will not sit in a government led by Netanyahu"[13].

Yashar presents itself as centrist, and it promises a new national security doctrine and a Jewish, democratic and strong state[14]. Before the election Joseph Mansour wrote for the Arab Center Washington DC that Eisenkot's appeal rested on offering competence and credibility. He identified support for judicial independence and a two-term limit for prime ministers as the main policy differences with Netanyahu[15].

The arithmetic of sixty-one seats

The Jerusalem Post's diplomatic correspondent Herb Keinon reported that Arab participation rose from about 53 per cent in 2022 to about 77 per cent, and that the two Arab lists went from 10 seats to 19[16]. Both Arab lists recommended Eisenkot[1,17]. Eisenkot has set conditions for coalition partners. They must recognise Israel as a "Jewish, democratic, liberal and egalitarian state", support mandatory military or civilian service for all citizens, and publicly recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation that must be destroyed[18]. Mansour Abbas, leader of Ra'am, said the conditions "will not be an obstacle"[18]. When Herzog asked him directly whether he considered Hamas a terrorist organisation, Abbas replied: "It is unreasonable to constantly subject us to this test of loyalty and adherence to the law"[19]. Jabareen also declined to use the label[18].

The Arab parties' support collides with the position of Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beytenu party rejects minority governments that depend on Arab parties[9,20]. The other possible source of seats is the ultra-Orthodox parties. On 25 June 2024 a nine-judge panel of the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the state must draft ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students[21]. United Torah Judaism told Herzog that its support for any government depends on legislation preserving exemptions for yeshiva students[22]. The Times of Israel set out one route, 48 change-bloc seats plus United Torah Judaism's 7 and Shas's 6, which makes exactly 61. Shas called reports that it might accept such an arrangement "total fake news"[23]. Lieberman said that national responsibility required "painful compromises" on the draft law[24].

Fraud allegations and competing readings of change

After the count gave his bloc 53 seats, short of a majority, Netanyahu said the election had been stolen and alleged that Qatar had secretly funded efforts to raise Arab turnout[25]. Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, said that Qatar categorically denies the allegations regarding its interference in the Israeli elections[26]. The Central Elections Committee examined 9,069 of 12,018 polling stations, about 75 per cent, compared with 43.5 per cent in the previous election[27]. It concluded that it had found no irregularities indicating that the integrity of the vote had been compromised or the results altered[27]. After Herzog announced his decision, Netanyahu changed his argument from fraud to unity, warning that "there are those who intend to hurriedly swear in a government with supporters of terrorism"[24].

Neve Gordon, a law professor at Queen Mary University of London, told Al Jazeera that he expected a reversal of Netanyahu's judicial overhaul and predicted that changes in the occupied Palestinian territories would be "merely cosmetic"[9]. In an IDI survey of 728 adults conducted online, 56 per cent of Jewish respondents said it would be easy to accept Eisenkot as prime minister, compared with 44 per cent for Netanyahu, while 84 per cent of Arab respondents rejected Netanyahu[28]. If no coalition could be formed, 35 per cent of Jewish respondents preferred new elections[28].

Much remains uncertain. The turnout figures for Arab citizens are approximate, and one report attributes them to analysis by the Israel Democracy Institute[16,20]. The Shin Bet inquiry into alleged foreign funding had not been completed when the mandate was given[25]. Shas has denied reports that it would not oppose an Eisenkot government, and United Torah Judaism has tied its support to legislation preserving yeshiva exemptions, although the 2024 Supreme Court ruling requires the state to draft such students[21,22,23]. Every route to a majority therefore requires at least one party to drop a position it has stated in public.

References

  1. Al Jazeera Staff. Israel's president picks Eisenkot over Netanyahu to form next government. Al Jazeera; 7 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 67 to 46 recommendation tally, the 61-seat threshold, Eisenkot's 2015 to 2019 tenure and war cabinet role, the Arab parties' recommendations and Netanyahu's warning about a government dependent on Islamists. ↩
  2. Neev K. 'Unconventional steps required': Eisenkot vows to form emergency gov't as Herzog bestows mandate. The Jerusalem Post; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 8 November ceremony and the quotations from Herzog and Eisenkot. ↩
  3. JNS Staff. Herzog to grant Eisenkot mandate to form Israel's next government. JNS; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the timing and location of the ceremony, the recommendation tally and United Torah Judaism's abstention. ↩
  4. Arnaout A, Kouachi I. Netanyahu ally United Torah Judaism declines to recommend him for Israeli premiership. Anadolu Agency; 5 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports United Torah Judaism's seven seats and abstention, the fall in Netanyahu's recommendations to 46 and the Arab parties' safety net offer. ↩
  5. Knesset of Israel. Basic Law: The Government (2001). Jewish Virtual Library; 2001. Court or legal document✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 28-day period, the extension of up to 14 days, the procedures if formation fails, the 90-day election rule and the continuity of the outgoing government. ↩
  6. CBS News. Israel's president taps opposition candidate Eisenkot to form a government, in setback for Netanyahu. CBS News; 7 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Netanyahu remaining caretaker prime minister and Dean Livne's statement on the integrity of the elections. ↩
  7. The Times of Israel. Central Elections Committee publishes final election results, Knesset to be sworn in Nov. 10. The Times of Israel; 30 Oct 2026. News reportSite blocks checksArchived copySupports the official seat allocation, bloc totals, turnout, votes cast, threshold, failed lists and the dates of 4 and 10 November. ↩
  8. Israel Democracy Institute. Elections 2026. Israel Democracy Institute; 2026. Primary data✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the election date, eligible voters, the 78.0 per cent turnout, vote shares and totals, Likud's five-seat loss and the description of the first on-schedule election since 1988. ↩
  9. Al Jazeera Staff. Will Eisenkot be able to form Israel's next gov't amid divided opposition?. Al Jazeera; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the coalition's fall from 64 to 53 seats, the bloc arithmetic, Lieberman's opposition to an Arab-backed minority government, and the quotations from Neve Gordon and Yair Golan. ↩
  10. France 24. Israeli president picks Netanyahu's rival Eisenkot to try to form government. France 24; 7 Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksArchived copySupports Eisenkot's age, his possible status as the first Mizrahi prime minister, his criticism of Netanyahu and pledge not to govern with him, and analysts' view that every coalition route is unlikely. ↩
  11. Speakman Cordall S. The Israeli politicians seeking to replace Netanyahu. Al Jazeera; 17 Oct 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Eisenkot's age, his years as chief of staff, the Dahiyeh Doctrine attribution, his entry into politics in 2022, his resignation in June 2024 and the June 2025 founding date for Yashar. ↩
  12. Speakman Cordall S. The anti-Netanyahu: Can Gadi Eisenkot give the world a different Israel?. Al Jazeera; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Eisenkot's birthplace and upbringing, the deaths of his son and nephew, the description of the Dahiyeh Doctrine and Yossi Mekelberg's quotation. ↩
  13. Smith A. Gadi Eisenkot vows not to join Benjamin Netanyahu government, even at Trump's request. The Jerusalem Post; 3 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Eisenkot's refusal to serve under Netanyahu even if Trump asked. ↩
  14. Jewish Virtual Library. Yashar! With Eisenkot. Jewish Virtual Library. Reference work✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 16 September 2025 founding date, Eisenkot's founding quotation, the party platform and Yoram Cohen joining in May 2026. ↩
  15. Mansour J. Israel's Election and Eisenkot's Arab Coalition Dilemma. Arab Center Washington DC; 15 Jul 2026. Analysis or opinion✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the analysis of Eisenkot's appeal and policy differences, and the cited 70 per cent figure on Jewish opposition to Arab parties in government. ↩
  16. Keinon H. Turnout statistics are real story in Israel's election despite deadlock. The Jerusalem Post; 2 Nov 2026. Analysis or opinion✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the estimated Arab turnout of about 53 per cent in 2022 and about 77 per cent in 2026 and the rise from 10 to 19 seats, and shows that no method is given. ↩
  17. Al Jazeera Staff. Joint List says it will back Eisenkot to form Israel's next government. Al Jazeera; 5 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedSupports the Joint List's and Ra'am's recommendations of Eisenkot. ↩
  18. Harkov L. Arab parties still don't meet Eisenkot's coalition conditions. Jewish Insider; 3 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedSupports Eisenkot's four conditions, Abbas's response that they will not be an obstacle and Jabareen's quotation. ↩
  19. i24NEWS. Ra'am recommends Eisenkot as Herzog challenges Abbas over Hamas. i24NEWS; 5 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedSupports Herzog's question to Abbas and Abbas's reply. ↩
  20. Levaton S. Inside the Arab parties whose growing clout is meeting a wall of resistance from potential partners. The Times of Israel; 3 Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksSupports the make-up of the Joint List, Ra'am's entry into government in 2021, Lieberman's rejection of an Arab-backed minority government and the turnout estimates. ↩
  21. Israel Democracy Institute. A Sharp, Unequivocal, and Unanimous Supreme Court Decision to Draft Haredim. Israel Democracy Institute; Jun 2024. Analysis or opinion✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the unanimous nine-judge ruling of 25 June 2024 on drafting yeshiva students. ↩
  22. The Times of Israel. United Torah Judaism declines to endorse candidate for prime minister in Herzog consultations. The Times of Israel; 5 Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksSupports United Torah Judaism's demand for legislation preserving yeshiva exemptions. ↩
  23. Levaton S, Sharon J, Bachner M. President Herzog taps Eisenkot to form coalition, but path remains fraught. The Times of Israel; 7 Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksSupports the 48 plus 7 plus 6 scenario and Shas's denial. ↩
  24. Azulay M, Karni Y. 'This is a time for unity': Netanyahu renews coalition appeal as Eisenkot courts Haredi parties. Ynetnews; 7 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Netanyahu's video quotations, Yashar's reply and Lieberman's remark on painful compromises. ↩
  25. Danan D. Israeli officials reject Netanyahu's claim of a 'stolen' election. Jewish Telegraphic Agency; 30 Oct 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Netanyahu's claim about Qatari funding, the Ra'amgate quotation, the Shin Bet statement and Eisenkot's accusation of delegitimisation. ↩
  26. Gulf Times. Qatar not a scapegoat for political failures of some Israeli politicians. Gulf Times; 29 Oct 2026. News report✓ Link checkedSupports the Qatari foreign ministry's denial and quotations. ↩
  27. VIN News. Election Committee Finds No Evidence of Fraud After Reviewing 9,069 Polling Stations. VIN News; 4 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedSupports the scale, staffing, complaint numbers and conclusion of the Central Elections Committee's review. ↩
  28. Israel Democracy Institute. Flash Survey: If No Party Can Form a Coalition, Highest Share of Israelis Prefer New Elections Over Alternatives. Israel Democracy Institute; Oct 2026. Primary data✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the survey method, sample, margin of error, the acceptance figures for Eisenkot and Netanyahu, and preferences if no coalition is formed. ↩

Abstract

On 8 November 2026 President Isaac Herzog gave Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a former chief of the Israeli military's general staff, the task of forming Israel's next government[1,2,3]. The election of 27 October left the bloc of the sitting prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, with 53 seats, down from 64 in 2022[4]. Factions representing 67 of 120 members recommended Eisenkot and factions representing 46 recommended Netanyahu[1,3]. Likud won 27 seats and Yashar 21, while the change bloc holds 48 seats and the two Arab-led lists hold 19[5]. A government needs at least 61 members, and the member given the task has 28 days, which the president may extend by additional periods not exceeding 14 days in total[1,6]. Both Arab lists recommended Eisenkot, but his conditions for partners include publicly recognising Hamas as a terrorist organisation, and the Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen declined to use that label[1,7,8]. United Torah Judaism told Herzog that its support for any government depends on legislation preserving exemptions for yeshiva students[9]. Netanyahu said the election had been stolen, but the Central Elections Committee found no irregularities indicating that the integrity of the vote had been compromised or the results altered[10,11]. Turnout figures for Arab citizens are approximate estimates, one of them attributed to Israel Democracy Institute analysis, and the Shin Bet inquiry into alleged foreign interference had not been completed[10,12,13].

1A presidential mandate passes to the challenger

On 8 November 2026 President Isaac Herzog formally gave Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a former chief of the Israeli military's general staff, the task of forming Israel's next government, at a ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem[1,2,3]. Herzog had announced the choice the previous evening. It followed consultations in which factions representing 67 of the Knesset's 120 members recommended Eisenkot and factions representing 46 members recommended the sitting prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu[1,3]. The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, which holds seven seats, recommended nobody[3,14]. Herzog told Eisenkot that he had received the clear and unequivocal support of a majority, and said: "I expect you to do everything in your power to establish a government that will serve the entire people"[2].

The timetable is set by Basic Law: The Government, one of the Basic Laws that serve as Israel's constitutional framework. The member given the task has 28 days, and the president may extend that period by additional periods not exceeding 14 days in total[6]. That is where the figure of up to six weeks comes from. A government needs the backing of at least 61 members to take office[1]. If the attempt fails, the law lets the president give the task to another member, and a majority of members may ask the president to choose a particular member, who then has 14 days[6]. If every route fails, new elections must be held on the last Tuesday before 90 days have passed[6]. Until a new government is sworn in, the outgoing government continues to carry out its functions, so Netanyahu stays in office as caretaker[6,15].

The choice is a setback for Netanyahu, whose bloc fell from 64 seats in 2022 to 53 in 2026[4,15]. At the ceremony Eisenkot said Israel was "in a state of emergency, approaching a point of no return for the State of Israel", and that "unconventional steps" would be needed to establish what he called a national emergency government[2]. He told Likud and the Religious Zionist Party that his door was open. He said that if they truly believed this was a time for unity, he could not imagine a reason why they would not join[2]. The mandate gives him first claim on the coalition talks. It does not give him a majority.

2An election that produced no governing majority

Israelis voted on 27 October 2026 for the 26th Knesset[5,16]. The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), an independent research institute in Jerusalem, describes it as the first election held on schedule since 1988[16]. According to the final results published by the Central Elections Committee, Likud won 27 seats, Yashar 21, Beyachad (Together) 12, the Joint List 11, the Democrats and Ra'am 8 each, Yisrael Beytenu, United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit 7 each, and Shas and Religious Zionism 6 each[5]. Grouped into blocs, the parties of the outgoing coalition hold 53 seats, the opposition parties that call themselves the change bloc hold 48, and the two Arab-led lists hold 19[5].

The committee reported turnout of 77.9 per cent, with 5,716,665 votes cast and an electoral threshold of 3.25 per cent[5]. The IDI's results page gives 7,331,981 eligible voters and turnout of 78.0 per cent, the highest since 1999[16]. The small difference probably reflects rounding. The IDI records that Likud took 20.5 per cent of the vote, or 1,167,591 votes, and Yashar 16.1 per cent, or 913,629 votes[16]. Likud had won 32 seats in November 2022, so it remains the largest party despite losing five[16]. Several lists, including the Reservists with 2.7 per cent, fell below the threshold, and their votes produced no seats[5].

The results were delivered to Herzog on 4 November, and the new Knesset is due to be sworn in on 10 November[5]. Opening his consultations, Herzog said: "The elections are over. Now is the time to face reality." He added that, with no clear winner, he was asking for "originality and creativity, courage and goodwill"[17]. In the same remarks he condemned what he called "the coarseness and racist expressions that we have heard recently"[17].

The key fact about this result is that neither main bloc can reach 61 seats alone. The change bloc of Yashar, Beyachad, the Democrats and Yisrael Beytenu is 13 seats short. With the Arab-led lists it would reach 67[4]. Netanyahu's bloc is eight seats short, and it shrank further during the consultations when United Torah Judaism withheld its endorsement[4,14]. France 24 reported that analysts consider each possible route to a majority unlikely, whether a minority government, a coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties or a national unity arrangement[18].

3The career general who entered politics in 2022

Eisenkot is 66[18,19]. He was born in Tiberias to parents who came from Morocco and grew up in the southern port city of Eilat[20]. France 24 notes that he would be Israel's first prime minister from the Mizrahi Jewish community, whose families came from the Middle East and North Africa[18]. He was chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 2015 to 2019[1,19]. Al Jazeera credits him with originating in 2008 what is known as the Dahiyeh Doctrine[19]. Al Jazeera describes the doctrine as advocating disproportionate force against civilian communities, and links it to the 2006 war in Lebanon[20].

He entered politics in 2022 as part of Benny Gantz's National Unity alliance[19]. After the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, he joined Netanyahu's emergency wartime government as an observer in the war cabinet, and left it in June 2024[1,19]. His son Gal was killed fighting in Gaza in December 2023, and a nephew was killed the next day[20]. France 24 reports that since leaving the cabinet he has criticised Netanyahu's conduct of the war in Gaza and pledged not to govern alongside him[18]. On 3 November he told reporters: "I will not sit in a government led by Netanyahu". He added that he would not do so even if the United States president, Donald Trump, asked him[21].

Sources disagree about when his party was founded. The Jewish Virtual Library dates the founding of Yashar to 16 September 2025, when Eisenkot called it a "personal and national duty — to be worthy". Al Jazeera gives June 2025[19,22]. The party presents itself as centrist. It promises a new national security doctrine and a Jewish, democratic and strong state[22]. It has recruited figures from the security establishment, including Yoram Cohen, a former head of the Shin Bet internal security service, who joined in May 2026[22].

Analysts describe a reserved figure. Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House told Al Jazeera that Eisenkot "seems very military in his bearing, very steady and a man you don't always know what he's thinking"[20]. Before the election Joseph Mansour wrote for the Arab Center Washington DC that Eisenkot's appeal rested on offering competence and credibility. He identified support for judicial independence and a two-term limit for prime ministers as the main policy differences with Netanyahu[23].

4The arithmetic of sixty-one seats

Arab turnout rose sharply in this election. The Jerusalem Post's diplomatic correspondent Herb Keinon reported that Arab participation rose from about 53 per cent in 2022 to about 77 per cent, and that the two Arab lists went from 10 seats to 19[12]. The Times of Israel reported that nearly 840,000 people voted for Ra'am and the Joint List, a 64 per cent increase on 2022, and that the previous record for Arab-led lists was 15 seats[24]. The Joint List combines three factions, Hadash, Ta'al and Balad, under Yousef Jabareen. Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas, became the first Arab party in Israeli history to sit in a government when it joined the Bennett-Lapid coalition in 2021[13].

Both Arab lists recommended Eisenkot[1,7]. Eisenkot has set conditions for coalition partners. They must recognise Israel as a "Jewish, democratic, liberal and egalitarian state", commit to the values of the Declaration of Independence, support mandatory military or civilian service for all citizens, and publicly recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation that must be destroyed[8]. Abbas said the conditions "will not be an obstacle"[8]. When Herzog asked him directly whether he considered Hamas a terrorist organisation, Abbas replied: "It is unreasonable to constantly subject us to this test of loyalty and adherence to the law"[25]. The National reported that he asked to be left room to protect himself and his family[26]. Jabareen also declined to use the label. He said: "We condemn the massacre in the Israeli communities bordering on Gaza"[8]. Anadolu, the Turkish state news agency, reported that the Arab parties had offered a parliamentary safety net, meaning support from outside the government[14].

The Arab parties' support collides with the position of Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beytenu party rejects minority governments that depend on Arab parties[4,13]. The other possible source of seats is the ultra-Orthodox parties, which the Israelis call Haredi. On 25 June 2024 a nine-judge panel of the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the state must draft ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students, because no legal basis for their exemption existed[27]. United Torah Judaism told Herzog that its support for any government depends on legislation preserving exemptions for yeshiva students[9]. The Times of Israel set out one route, 48 change-bloc seats plus United Torah Judaism's 7 and Shas's 6, which makes exactly 61. Shas called reports that it might accept such an arrangement "total fake news"[28]. Lieberman, who has long campaigned against the exemptions, said that national responsibility required "painful compromises" on the draft law[29].

5Fraud allegations and the contest over legitimacy

After the count gave his bloc 53 seats, short of a majority, Netanyahu said the election had been stolen. He alleged that Qatar had secretly funded efforts to raise Arab turnout[10]. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency quoted a Likud statement: "The Ra'amgate affair is an earthquake. They stole the elections in Israel"[10]. The Times of Israel reported that, according to Hebrew media, Likud also suspected Turkey, and that the party gave police what it described as hundreds of testimonies about cash handed out with ballot slips, double voting and discrepancies in ballot envelopes[30]. Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of trying to delegitimise the results[10].

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, said: "The State of Qatar categorically denies the allegations regarding its interference in the Israeli elections or funding of any activities aimed at influencing their outcomes". He added that Qatar was "not a scapegoat for the political failures of some Israeli politicians"[31]. The acting director-general of the Central Elections Committee, Dean Livne, said the elections had been conducted lawfully. He said that, as far as the committee knew, there was no basis for claims of systematic harm to their integrity[15,30]. He said any proven allegations were unlikely to change the results and might at most invalidate individual votes[30].

The committee's review was larger than usual. It examined 9,069 of 12,018 polling stations, about 75 per cent, compared with 5,100 stations, or 43.5 per cent, in the previous election[11]. About 250 public-service lawyers worked on it, and 350 cases received a fuller examination of ballot papers and voter registers[11]. The committee handled 2,452 complaints from parties and 1,239 from the public. It concluded that it had found no irregularities indicating that the integrity of the vote had been compromised or the results altered[11]. A separate Shin Bet inquiry into alleged foreign interference was described as limited in scope[30]. The agency said that, until its inquiry was complete, statements about its substance did not reflect its position[10].

After Herzog announced his decision, Netanyahu changed his argument from fraud to unity. In a video statement he said: "Citizens of Israel, this is a time for unity". He warned that "there are those who intend to hurriedly swear in a government with supporters of terrorism"[29]. He also said that a government reliant on Arab support would "dismantle the state of Israel from within"[1]. Yashar replied that Likud and its partners were "more than welcome" to accept Eisenkot's four principles. It accused Netanyahu of using the word unity only once he realised his days in office were numbered[29].

6Competing readings of what a change of government would mean

Neve Gordon, a law professor at Queen Mary University of London, told Al Jazeera that he expected an Eisenkot government to reverse Netanyahu's judicial overhaul, the government's effort to reduce the powers of the courts. He predicted that changes in the occupied Palestinian territories would be "merely cosmetic"[4]. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats, has pressed Eisenkot to accept Arab support. He said that Israelis "must no longer accept Netanyahu's racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes"[4].

Public opinion data show the limits on both men. The IDI surveyed 728 adults online between 18 and 21 October 2026, with a stated margin of error of plus or minus 3.63 percentage points[32]. Fifty-six per cent of Jewish respondents said it would be easy to accept Eisenkot as prime minister, compared with 44 per cent for Netanyahu, while 84 per cent of Arab respondents rejected Netanyahu[32]. If no coalition could be formed, 35 per cent of Jewish respondents preferred new elections, 28 per cent a unity government with a rotating premiership and 23 per cent a minority government[32]. Mansour, in his pre-election analysis, cited a figure that 70 percent of Jewish Israelis oppose including an Arab party in government[23].

Netanyahu's legal position is also at stake. He has been on trial since 2020 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases, which he denies and calls a witch hunt[33]. In March 2026 the Justice Ministry's pardons department told Herzog that it could not determine that he had the authority to pardon Netanyahu while the trial was under way. It also said it could not recommend that he take that "extraordinary and far-reaching step"[34]. Herzog's office said in April that it wanted first to exhaust efforts to reach a plea agreement[33].

The war in Gaza forms the background to the talks. A ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025. The UN humanitarian office OCHA reported 1,431 Palestinian deaths after the ceasefire up to 30 September 2026, citing the Gaza health ministry, which it notes operates under the de facto authorities[35]. Eisenkot has also required coalition partners to designate Hamas publicly as a terrorist organisation that must be destroyed militarily[8].

Uncertainties and open questions

Several important points remain unresolved or rest on thin evidence. The turnout figures for Arab citizens, about 53 per cent in 2022 and about 77 per cent in 2026, are approximate estimates, attributed in one report to analysis by the Israel Democracy Institute[12,13]. The Central Elections Committee publishes results by polling station, not by ethnicity, so any figure for a single community is an estimate.

The Shin Bet inquiry into alleged foreign funding had not been completed when the mandate was given, and the agency has said that descriptions of its findings do not reflect its position[10]. Likud's testimonies about cash payments have not been tested in public, and Qatar denies any involvement[30,31].

The parties' positions are statements made during coalition bargaining. Shas has denied reports that it would not oppose an Eisenkot government, and United Torah Judaism has tied its support to legislation preserving yeshiva exemptions, although the 2024 Supreme Court ruling requires the state to draft such students[9,27,28]. Basic facts about Eisenkot's party differ between sources, including its founding date[19,22]. The IDI survey was carried out online on 18–21 October 2026, with an Arabic-speaking subsample of only 127 respondents, against an overall margin of error of ±3.63 per cent[32]. Casualty figures for Gaza come from the Gaza health ministry, which OCHA notes operates under the de facto authorities[35].

Conclusion

Herzog's decision gives Eisenkot 28 days, extendable by up to 14 more, to put together the 61 votes required from parties that disagree about the Arab lists and ultra-Orthodox conscription[6,8,9]. The arithmetic is plain. The change bloc holds 48 seats, Netanyahu's bloc 53 and the Arab-led lists 19[5]. Every route to a majority therefore requires at least one party to drop a position it has stated in public.

The election's legitimacy has so far held up under the formal tests. The Central Elections Committee's review covered about 75 per cent of polling stations, against 43.5 per cent at the previous election, and found no irregularities indicating that the results had been altered[11]. Netanyahu has moved from alleging fraud to calling for unity, while Eisenkot refuses to serve under him[21,29]. If neither man can form a government, the law sends Israelis back to the polls within about three months, with Netanyahu staying on as caretaker prime minister in the meantime[6,15].

References

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  2. Neev K. 'Unconventional steps required': Eisenkot vows to form emergency gov't as Herzog bestows mandate. The Jerusalem Post; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 8 November ceremony and the quotations from Herzog and Eisenkot. ↩
  3. JNS Staff. Herzog to grant Eisenkot mandate to form Israel's next government. JNS; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the timing and location of the ceremony, the recommendation tally and United Torah Judaism's abstention. ↩
  4. Al Jazeera Staff. Will Eisenkot be able to form Israel's next gov't amid divided opposition?. Al Jazeera; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the coalition's fall from 64 to 53 seats, the bloc arithmetic, Lieberman's opposition to an Arab-backed minority government, and the quotations from Neve Gordon and Yair Golan. ↩
  5. The Times of Israel. Central Elections Committee publishes final election results, Knesset to be sworn in Nov. 10. The Times of Israel; 30 Oct 2026. News reportSite blocks checksArchived copySupports the official seat allocation, bloc totals, turnout, votes cast, threshold, failed lists and the dates of 4 and 10 November. ↩
  6. Knesset of Israel. Basic Law: The Government (2001). Jewish Virtual Library; 2001. Court or legal document✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 28-day period, the extension of up to 14 days, the procedures if formation fails, the 90-day election rule and the continuity of the outgoing government. ↩
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  9. The Times of Israel. United Torah Judaism declines to endorse candidate for prime minister in Herzog consultations. The Times of Israel; 5 Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksSupports United Torah Judaism's demand for legislation preserving yeshiva exemptions. ↩
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  15. CBS News. Israel's president taps opposition candidate Eisenkot to form a government, in setback for Netanyahu. CBS News; 7 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Netanyahu remaining caretaker prime minister and Dean Livne's statement on the integrity of the elections. ↩
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