Israel’s election has left both leading blocs short of a majority, with negotiations over parliamentary support set to determine who can form the next government.
The Israel election 2026 has moved into the government-formation stage, with President Isaac Herzog announcing consultations with parliamentary factions for Wednesday, 4 November. The talks follow the inconclusive 27 October vote and will help determine which lawmaker receives the first opportunity to assemble a government. [1]
What the Israel election 2026 result shows
AFP reported that Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc 48, while Arab-led lists won the remaining 19. Neither main bloc reaches the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset. [2]
The arithmetic gives smaller parties considerable influence. Eisenkot’s bloc and the Arab-led lists would together hold 67 seats, but that calculation does not mean an agreement exists. The opposition remains divided over working with Arab lawmakers. [3]
Opposition unity faces a coalition test
Opposition party leaders met on 3 November and backed Eisenkot to form the next government. They pledged to move quickly and avoid another election, but their common opposition to Netanyahu has not resolved disagreements over prospective partners. [2]
For Netanyahu, continuing in office and assembling a new parliamentary majority are different questions. Reuters has identified several possible routes out of the deadlock, including a broader unity arrangement, an Eisenkot-led minority government with outside support, or Netanyahu attracting lawmakers from the opposition. Each would require political agreements that remain uncertain. [3]
Dispute over the results adds pressure
AFP reported on 4 November that the electoral commission would not delay publishing the results despite a Likud request linked to an investigation into alleged irregularities involving Arab parties. The Arab parties reject the accusations. An investigation does not establish that fraud occurred. [2]
What Herzog’s consultations will decide
The president’s office announced that consultations would start with smaller factions, allowing Herzog to consider a wider range of possible arrangements before meeting the largest groups. Representatives will make recommendations, after which he will assign a member of the Knesset the task of forming a government. [1]
The assignment is a chance to negotiate a viable administration. It does not itself install a new prime minister. Under the process described by the Knesset, a proposed government must present its policy guidelines and ministerial line-up and obtain parliament’s confidence before taking office. [4]
How long negotiations can take
The first candidate normally has 28 days to form a government, with a presidential extension of up to 14 additional days. If that attempt fails, the law provides for further opportunities, including an assignment to another candidate and a later route supported by a parliamentary majority. [4][5]
A repeat election is therefore a possible eventual outcome, rather than an immediate consequence of the current deadlock. The outgoing government continues to perform its functions until a successor is established. [4][5]
Impact and conclusion
The immediate impact is uncertainty over who can command sustained parliamentary support. A coalition’s eventual membership will also shape what it can agree on. A government dependent on several parties may have to negotiate domestic priorities and security policy within its own ranks.
For people following Gaza and wider regional diplomacy, a change of prime minister would not by itself establish a new policy. The relevant evidence will be the coalition agreement, the government’s stated programme and the decisions that follow. Until those emerge, predictions of an automatic change in approach remain speculative.
Herzog’s consultations will clarify the parties’ positions, but the decisive test remains parliamentary confidence. The election has produced bargaining power for several groups; a government will emerge only when enough lawmakers agree on an arrangement they are prepared to support. [4]
Sources and references
[2] AFP — Israeli PM and attorney general trade barbs over poll fraud allegations — 4 November 2026
[3] Reuters — How could Israel break the election deadlock — 29 October 2026
[4] Knesset — Government Formation — parliamentary procedure
[5] Office of the President — The institution of the Presidency — government formation process
