Herzog Receives Israel’s Election Results as Government Formation Talks Begin

Israeli President Isaac Herzog received the official Knesset election results on Wednesday, November 4, opening the consultation process that will help determine who is tasked with forming the next government. Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg presented the results after the committee approved them that morning, having found no evidence that election integrity had been compromised.

The president must consult Knesset factions before selecting a candidate to form a government. Herzog will hear their recommendations for prime minister and is expected to award the mandate to the candidate supported by the largest number of party representatives. The consultations follow an election that left competing blocs facing an uncertain path to government.

Wednesday’s meetings are scheduled to proceed in ascending order of the factions’ Knesset seats, starting with Religious Zionism Party-Zehut, Shas and Yisrael Beytenu. Representatives of the remaining parties will take part in further consultations on Thursday, with discussions continuing into the evening.

Two established partners in Netanyahu’s coalition have already made their positions clear. The Religious Zionist Party, headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Shas, led by Arye Deri, said on Tuesday that they would recommend Netanyahu. Their declarations came before Herzog formally received the election results.

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman has announced his support for Yashar leader and prime ministerial candidate Gadi Eisenkot. Opposition leaders Naftali Bennett of B’Yachad and Yair Golan of the Democrats have also said they will recommend Eisenkot, seeking to prevent the country from having to hold another election.

The confirmed results gave Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats, keeping it ahead of the opposition bloc’s 48. Ra’am and the Joint List together secured a record 19 seats. Those results leave coalition negotiations central to resolving the deadlock, with another election remaining a possible outcome if parties cannot reach an agreement.

The Arab parties’ recommendations could affect Herzog’s choice. If their 19 seats were added to the opposition bloc’s 48 in support of Eisenkot, he would have 67 recommendations, potentially securing the mandate ahead of Netanyahu. Other possible arrangements include a unity government bringing Netanyahu together with members of Eisenkot’s bloc, or a minority government.

On Sunday, Herzog urged political leaders to respect the election results and show flexibility during coalition talks. He warned that entrenched positions could push Israel into another election, as parties prepared to negotiate over the composition of the next government.