Israel's Eisenkot wins 67 endorsements to form government, Netanyahu gets 46
The gist
Former defence chief Gadi Eisenkot secured 67 of 120 Knesset endorsements to form Israel's next government, against 46 for Benjamin Netanyahu.
President Herzog must now decide who can actually assemble a stable coalition.
How it unfolded
- Oct 27, 2026Knesset election held; all elected factions took part in the subsequent presidential consultations.
- Nov 4, 2026Herzog began consultations with smaller parties. Netanyahu received endorsements from the Religious Zionist Party, Zehut and Shas, while Yisrael Beytenu endorsed Eisenkot.
- Nov 5, 2026After two days of consultations, Herzog confirmed Eisenkot had 67 endorsements in the 120-seat Knesset versus 46 for Netanyahu, with UTJ's seven members backing neither.
Key terms
- Knesset
- The unicameral legislature of Israel, with 120 seats.
- coalition
- A government formed by two or more political parties sharing executive power, usually when no party wins a majority.
- yeshiva
- A traditional Jewish educational institution focused on studying Rabbinic literature, especially the Talmud and halacha.
Source: Wikipedia