Politics · Other · 2 hrs ago
Israel election leaves coalition talks unresolved as Herzog weighs next steps
Israel’s election left parliament without a clear governing majority.
Results gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats and rival Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc 48, while Arab parties won 19.
Neither bloc reached the 61 seats needed to govern alone.
President Isaac Herzog must consult party representatives and choose who to ask to form a government.
Herzog is expected to meet Netanyahu and Eisenkot separately to explore whether a unity government is possible.
The reports of those planned meetings came as election results were still being finalized.
The White House says it has not decided to intervene in Israel’s coalition talks, and calls reports of a preferred government premature.
If no candidate can form a coalition, Israel could face another election, which Herzog says he wants to avoid.
Neither major bloc won a majority in Israel’s election, leaving President Isaac Herzog to choose whom to ask to form the next government.
Herzog is expected to consult party representatives after the official results are announced and select the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government.
He can choose someone whose party did not win the most seats, and the law gives him broad discretion.
Herzog has said he wants to avoid another election and could support a unity government between Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot.
Media reports said Herzog planned to meet the two men separately to explore a unity government, but the United States said it had not decided whether to intervene in coalition talks.
- Who
- President Isaac Herzog must choose a candidate to try to form Israel’s next government.
- What
- Neither major bloc won a parliamentary majority, prompting Herzog to decide whom to task with forming a government.
- When
- After the official election results are announced; media reports said Herzog could meet the candidates in the coming days.
- Where
- Israel.
- Why
- Neither bloc has enough seats for a majority, and Herzog has said he wants to avoid another election.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Israel held an election in which neither major bloc secured a parliamentary majority.
Partial results showed Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats and the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot with 48.
Herzog is expected to meet Netanyahu and Eisenkot separately to explore the feasibility of a unity government.
Herzog will consult party representatives and name a candidate to try to form a government.
- Netanyahu bloc
- 53 seats
- Eisenkot opposition bloc
- 48 seats
- Arab parties
- 19 seats
- Majority threshold
- 61 seats
- President
- Isaac Herzog
- Potential unity government
- Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot
5 sources
White House has not made decision to intervene in Israeli coalition talks — official
Israele, i media: 'Herzog vedrà Netanyahu e Eisenkot per testare un governo di unità' - LA CRONACA DELLA GIORNATA
Israel’s unassuming President Isaac Herzog holds keys to next government
Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, Faces a Difficult Choice
What people are saying
I don’t think the president of the United States or anybody else can intervene in my discretion
It’s Israel’s democracy and Israel’s constitution, and that’s what counts for me.