Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has announced that his parliamentary bloc will recommend that President Isaac Herzog task Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government. The decision, issued by Bennett’s Together party, signifies a major boost to Eisenkot’s prospects of securing the initial mandate to build a coalition.
Bennett confirmed that he has already informed Eisenkot of the directive. This development follows recent comments from Eisenkot, who described the results of the 26th Knesset election as “firm and clear.” He referenced assurances from Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg, who confirmed the integrity of the voting process. Separately, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the Democrats Party, led by Yair Golan, also intends to support Eisenkot during the upcoming presidential consultations, although Golan has not yet issued an official statement.
Eisenkot has been vocal in his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party, accusing them of attempting to delegitimize the election results. On Sunday, Eisenkot labeled these efforts to drag the nation into another round of elections as “despicable and malicious.” He stated, “The despicable and malicious attempt to disown the election results, challenge the public’s will, smear an entire community and drag Israel into new elections has failed.” He further argued that such campaigns only damage public trust in state institutions.
The official results for the 26th Knesset, published last Friday, show Netanyahu’s Likud party leading with 27 seats, followed by Eisenkot’s Yashar party with 21, the Joint List with 11, Bennett’s Together with 12, the Democrats with 8, and the United Arab List (Ra’am) with 8. While Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats compared to 48 for the opposition and 19 for Arab parties, no single group reached the 61-seat threshold required for a majority in the 120-member parliament. Voter turnout for the election was 77.9%.
Justice Noam Sohlberg is expected to submit the final results to President Herzog on November 4. The president will then begin formal consultations with party representatives to determine who will be tasked with forming a government. The candidate chosen will receive an initial 28 days to build a coalition, with a potential 14-day extension if necessary.
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