The October 27 election left the current premier's bloc with 53 seats, the opposition with 48, and Arab-led parties holding 19 decisive seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Meeting in Herzliya, opposition heads agreed on a joint candidate, but they remain split on whether to ally with Arab lawmakers to cross the 61-seat threshold. The proposed prime ministerial candidate outlined principles recognizing Israel as a Jewish state and designating Hamas as a terrorist group, criteria that could complicate talks with those essential factions.
Key points
Opposition factions must bridge internal ideological divides regarding Arab-led parties t…: Opposition factions must bridge internal ideological divides regarding Arab-led parties to achieve a governing majority.
The incumbent prime minister has sought his own national coalition while refusing to nego…: The incumbent prime minister has sought his own national coalition while refusing to negotiate with Arab-majority lists.
Securing outside recommendations from non-aligned lawmakers remains the decisive factor i…: Securing outside recommendations from non-aligned lawmakers remains the decisive factor in determining who forms the next government.
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Opposition promises to form a government quickly but remains split over whether to ally with Arab-led parties.
Israel’s opposition leaders have agreed to back former military chief Gadi Eisenkot as prime minister, promising to replace Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as quickly as possible.
The five party heads met on Tuesday in the city of Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, in their first joint meeting since the October 27 election, which left neither bloc with a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
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The agreement comes a day before President Isaac Herzog begins consultations with parties on who should form the next government.
But the bloc remains divided over whether to ally with Arab-led parties, whose support could prove decisive.
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