Israel's President Herzog tasks Gadi Eisenkot with forming government
The gist
Israeli President Isaac Herzog tasked Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government, giving him 28 days.
Eisenkot's 67 backers include both Arab parties, but coalition math stays fragile.
How it unfolded
- Oct 27, 2026Israel held its election; exit polls projected no party or bloc with a clear mandate to form a government. Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition lost its majority but remained the largest bloc.
- Nov 5, 2026After consultations, Herzog said factions totaling 67 lawmakers backed Eisenkot and 46 recommended Netanyahu. Eisenkot's backers grew from 48 to 67 with pledges from the Arab parties Ra'am and the Joint List, which hold 19 Knesset seats combined.
- Nov 7, 2026Herzog announced he would task Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government, giving him 28 days. Herzog had met separately with Eisenkot and Netanyahu over the weekend and informed both.
Key terms
- mandate
- The perceived legitimacy, usually from election results, for a party or leader to rule and form a government.
- Knesset
- The unicameral legislature of Israel, with 120 seats.
Source: Wikipedia