Israel: Herzog to open coalition talks on Wednesday as Arab parties line up behind Eisenkot
With neither bloc at 61 seats after the October 27 election, President Isaac Herzog urged leaders to approach consultations with an open mind and warned against another vote.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Sunday he would begin consultations with all parties in the newly elected Knesset after receiving the official results of last week's deadlocked election on Wednesday, November 4, and appealed to leaders to show flexibility to avoid another trip to the polls.
Speaking at a memorial ceremony for Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann, in Rehovot, Herzog said the results were "a fact" and asked party representatives to come to the talks with an open mind. Under Israeli law he must hand the mandate to form a government within seven days of the results being published, which Israeli media put at November 11 at the latest.
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Arab parties expected to back Eisenkot
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc won 53 of the 120 seats in the October 27 vote, while opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's bloc won 48. Arab-led parties took 19 seats, their strongest showing in years. Likud, with 27 seats, is the largest single party, ahead of Eisenkot's new centrist party Yashar with 21.
Israeli media reported on Sunday that the Joint List, led by Ahmad Tibi, and Mansour Abbas's Ra'am are expected to recommend Eisenkot for prime minister. A tally by Ynet suggested Eisenkot could receive about 60 recommendations against roughly 46 for Netanyahu, depending on undecided parties such as Yisrael Beiteinu and United Torah Judaism.
A recommendation is not the same as joining a government. The Joint List has said it would back an opposition-led administration from outside rather than sit in a coalition. Eisenkot has set conditions for cooperation that include recognising Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and treating Hamas as a terrorist organisation, and it remains unclear whether the Arab parties will accept them.
Rallies and claims over turnout
Demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to urge the opposition to reach an understanding with Arab parties to replace Netanyahu. Netanyahu's camp has alleged that Qatari money influenced Arab turnout; Qatar has rejected the accusations.
What happens next
The candidate chosen by Herzog will have 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. If that fails, the mandate can pass to another lawmaker, and if no government wins Knesset approval, parliament is dissolved and fresh elections follow. Herzog has said he wants to avoid another election. For India, which has deep defence and trade links with Israel, the shape of the next government will matter for ties and for regional diplomacy.
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