Neither major bloc secured the 61-seat threshold in the 120-member parliament, leaving Benjamin Netanyahu with 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot with 48. Eisenkot faces internal opposition hesitation regarding a partnership with Arab-minority parties, while Netanyahu's calls for a broad coalition have been rejected by rivals citing his pending corruption charges. The candidate ultimately designated by President Isaac Herzog will have 28 days, plus a possible two-week extension, to secure an agreement. Failure to form a coalition could plunge a country that held five votes between 2019 and 2022 into another election cycle.
Key points
Opposition leaders refuse to join a Benjamin Netanyahu-led unity government, citing his c…: Opposition leaders refuse to join a Benjamin Netanyahu-led unity government, citing his corruption trials and the Oct. 7 security failure.
Isaac Herzog is conducting talks with smaller political parties first to promote fresh th…: Isaac Herzog is conducting talks with smaller political parties first to promote fresh thinking and prevent another national vote.
Persistent parliamentary deadlock could trigger renewed elections for a country that expe…: Persistent parliamentary deadlock could trigger renewed elections for a country that experienced five separate votes between 2019 and 2022.
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JERUSALEM: Israel's president begins deliberations on Wednesday (Nov 4) on whom to task to form a government, with neither veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor rival Gadi Eisenkot holding enough seats after a divisive election.
President Isaac Herzog holds a largely ceremonial role, but carries the decisive vote on who will have the first chance to try to be prime minister - a process that could last weeks or even months and may end in failure and new elections.
Herzog's statements have raised speculation that he could sound out leaders on joining a unity government, hoping to bring stability in a country sharply polarised after three years of war and Netanyahu's hard-right politics.
After officially receiving the results of the Oct 27 election, Herzog begins two days of consultations with parties at 5pm (1500 GMT), starting with the ultranationalist Religious Zionism.
Herzog's office said he was deliberately starting with the smaller parties, hoping to hear all views, and would wait until late Thursday to meet the two biggest, Netanyahu's right-wing Likud and Yashar, a broad centre to centre-right opposition party…
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