Israel’s conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just lost his first shot at running the next government, after the country’s president handed the job to a rival whose numbers depend on Arab-party support.
Story Snapshot
- President Isaac Herzog gave opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form Israel’s next government after consultations with every incoming party.
- Sixty-seven lawmakers recommended Eisenkot while only 46 backed Netanyahu, clearing the 61-seat majority needed in the 120-seat Knesset.
- Nineteen of Eisenkot’s recommendations came from two Arab parties, a fact Netanyahu says threatens Israel’s survival.
- Herzog warned the numbers alone do not prove anyone can actually build a working government, citing vetoes inside and between the blocs.
- Eisenkot now has a strict 28-day window, with a possible 14-day extension, to lock down a real coalition.
Herzog Hands Rival the First Shot
President Isaac Herzog announced that parties representing 67 incoming lawmakers recommended Gadi Eisenkot to form Israel’s government, while parties representing 46 backed Netanyahu. That 21-seat gap gave Eisenkot a clear edge after a bruising election left no party with a solid majority. Herzog’s office confirmed he would formally hand Eisenkot the mandate, a direct setback for the sitting prime minister who has led Israel through years of war and political turmoil.
Israel’s Knesset holds 120 seats, meaning 61 votes make a majority. Eisenkot’s 67 recommendations clear that bar by six seats, while Netanyahu’s 46 fall well short. On paper, that looks like a decisive win for the opposition. But a recommendation is not a signed coalition deal, and Herzog himself said the tally does not settle who can actually run the country.
Arab-Party Support Fuels Netanyahu’s Warnings
Nineteen of Eisenkot’s 67 recommendations came from two Arab parties, a detail that hands Netanyahu his sharpest attack line. Netanyahu warned that a government propped up by Arab-party votes would mean Israel “will simply not survive,” and predicted the arrangement could spark unrest he compared to “national suicide.” He called instead for a broad unity government led by Likud and the national bloc rather than what he labeled a narrow minority government.
Those warnings are not coming only from Netanyahu’s camp. Avigdor Lieberman, whose party could be a key partner for either side, has repeatedly ruled out joining any government that depends on Arab-party support, arguing such an arrangement would collapse quickly and ultimately strengthen Netanyahu down the road. That leaves Eisenkot squeezed between the voters who recommended him and the hard-line allies he would need to actually govern.
Coalition Math Still Shaky
Herzog made clear his legal job is deciding who can realistically form a government, not just counting recommendations, and he cited vetoes both between and within the political blocs. The 67-vote total includes factions with sharply different demands, from military-service exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox to the role Arab lawmakers would actually play in votes on budgets, legislation, and security matters. None of those disputes are resolved yet.
Netanyahu’s own bloc isn’t in great shape either. His coalition partners won 53 seats, well short of the 61 needed, and reporting suggests finding eight more seats looks like a long shot. Likud itself remains the single largest party in the Knesset with 27 seats, six more than Eisenkot’s Yashar party, a fact Netanyahu’s allies are already using to argue the opposition’s mandate ignores the election’s real winner.
What’s Next for Israel’s Government
Eisenkot now faces a hard 28-day clock, with a possible 14-day extension, to turn his recommendations into an actual coalition with a signed agreement, a cabinet, and enough votes to survive a confidence vote. Getting the mandate does not remove Netanyahu from office, and if Eisenkot fails to assemble a government, the process could swing right back to Netanyahu or trigger yet another round of elections.
President Herzog hands the mandate to form Israel's next government to Gadi Eisenkot today, after 67 MKs recommended him.
He now has 28 days to build a coalition.Follow the latest : https://t.co/waVp1vyNiL #Israel #Knesset
— EJA – EIPA (@EJAssociation) November 8, 2026
For an American conservative audience watching a close ally, the stakes go beyond Israeli politics. A government that depends on Arab-party backing for its survival raises real questions about how firmly Israel can act on security matters that affect the whole region, including Iran. The next 28 days will show whether Eisenkot can build something durable, or whether this “setback” for Netanyahu turns out to be nothing more than a temporary detour.
Sources:
redstate.com, thejewishnews.com, israel.com, haaretz.com
