Overview
- The Oct. 27 election left no clear winner as Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats and the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48, short of the 61-seat majority needed to form a government.
- Opposition party leaders met in Herzliya and issued a joint statement on Tuesday endorsing Eisenkot to try to form a government and saying they will act quickly to replace Netanyahu’s cabinet.
- Eisenkot has publicly set four conditions for partners — recognition of Israel as a Jewish democratic state, acceptance of the Declaration of Independence’s values, support for mandatory military or civilian service, and explicit recognition of Hamas as a terrorist group.
- The Arab-led Joint List and Ra’am together hold 19 seats and could provide the votes or abstentions to pass a government, but the Joint List says it will only offer outside support while the West Bank occupation continues and Ra’am signals more conditional cooperation.
- Netanyahu and Likud have publicly questioned the vote’s legitimacy while the Central Elections Committee defended the results, and President Isaac Herzog is due to begin formal consultations that will start the legal clock for coalition talks and possible new elections.