Business · Markets · 4 hrs ago
Israel stock exchange chief urges consensus government after election
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange CEO Ittai Ben-Zeev urged Israel’s leaders to form a consensus government after the country’s recent election.
The vote left the next government uncertain, with parties opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu winning 67 of 120 Knesset seats, compared with 53 for his right-wing and ultra-Orthodox bloc.
Deep ideological divisions and conflicting campaign promises have made it difficult for the opposition to form an alternative government.
Israeli shares fell and the shekel weakened against the US dollar last week as investors faced uncertainty over coalition talks; the TA-125 index fell 3.4% in October.
Ben-Zeev warned that prolonged political disputes could hold back economic growth, despite Israel’s technology sector and businesses having shown resilience during three years of war.
He called on the next government to adopt a responsible budget, invest in infrastructure and education, and widen workforce participation.
Coalition talks could take a long time, and another election remains possible, according to an economist quoted in the story.
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange chief Ittai Ben-Zeev urged Israel’s political leaders to form a consensus-based government after the election.
He said political disputes should not hold back the country’s economic future.
Parties opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won 67 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, while his right-wing and ultra-Orthodox bloc won 53.
Deep ideological divisions and conflicting campaign promises have made it difficult for the opposition to form an alternative government.
Israel’s TA-125 index fell 3.4% in October, while the shekel weakened against the US dollar last week.
- Who
- Ittai Ben-Zeev, chief executive of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, urged Israel’s political leaders to reach agreement.
- What
- He called for a consensus-based government after the election and urged policies to support economic growth.
- When
- On Sunday, less than a week after the election.
- Where
- Israel.
- Why
- He warned that prolonged political disputes could impede economic growth and undermine investor confidence.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Israeli voters cast their ballots in a general election.
Ben-Zeev urged political leaders to set aside differences and form a consensus-based government.
Israeli shares fell and the shekel weakened against the US dollar amid uncertainty after the election.
The TA-125 benchmark index fell 3.4%.
- Election result
- Parties opposing Benjamin Netanyahu won 67 of 120 Knesset seats; his bloc won 53.
- Benchmark index
- TA-125 fell 3.4% in October.
- Year-to-date index performance
- TA-125 was up 7.4% since the start of 2026.
- Political appeal
- Ittai Ben-Zeev called for a consensus-based government.
What people are saying
National responsibility must come before short-term political considerations.
A broad-based government rooted in agreement between camps does not require erasing differences or abandoning principles.
Based on the recent election results, it remains difficult to form a stable government in Israel.
Clearly, the coalition-building process will take a long time, and another election is also a possible scenario.