Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said his B’Yachad faction will recommend that President Isaac Herzog assign Gadi Eisenkot the task of forming a government, a step that begins a process still dependent on parliamentary backing.
The Associated Press and Anadolu Agency reported 53 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc, 48 for the bloc led by Yashar party leader Eisenkot and 19 for Arab parties in the 120-seat Knesset; the CEC says the tally may still change. Neither main bloc reaches the 61 seats needed for a majority. The committee expects to publish final results in the Official Gazette by Nov. 4 and says the tally could still change before then.
Herzog has said he will hear from Knesset factions after the official results are published. Under Israel’s Basic Law: The Government, the president must consult parliamentary-group representatives and assign the task within seven days of publication to a Knesset member willing to serve. That member has 28 days to form a government, with possible extensions of up to 14 days.
The Associated Press reported that faction consultations are scheduled to start Nov. 4.
The coalition process is unfolding amid accusations over the vote. The Associated Press said Netanyahu and Likud accused Arab-led parties of taking the vote improperly and also raised allegations of foreign meddling. The Associated Press said Shin Bet began investigating after the election committee chair requested it.
Anadolu said Likud had yet to offer public proof for allegations of Qatari involvement or broad election fraud. Anadolu Agency reported that Eisenkot wrote on X that efforts to discredit the result had failed. The Associated Press reported that Israel held five elections between April 2019 and November 2022 amid repeated difficulty forming governments.
