Israel’s recent election has created a complex political situation with no clear path to government formation. The final results announced Friday show Netanyahu’s Likud party winning the most seats at 27, but his right-wing coalition partners secured only 53 of the 120 Knesset seats needed for a majority. Opposition parties, led by center-right former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, won more seats collectively, yet face their own obstacles to governance.
Israel’s president will consult with all elected party leaders over the coming days. The president will then select a candidate deemed most likely to assemble a governing coalition and grant that person 28 days—potentially extended by 14 additional days—to secure support from at least 61 lawmakers. Multiple scenarios could unfold from this process.
Eisenkot appears positioned to receive the most recommendations from lawmakers, but his situation remains difficult. While his bloc and Arab parties, which won a historic 19 seats, would together command a comfortable majority, Eisenkot and his allies repeatedly pledged during campaigning not to rely on Arab party support. A unity government combining Netanyahu and Eisenkot represents another possibility, though Eisenkot has consistently refused to serve under Netanyahu’s leadership and questions remain about power-sharing arrangements.
If no candidate can assemble a majority, another election becomes possible, though Israel’s president has urged leaders to avoid returning to the polls. A fourth option involves lawmakers defecting from opposing blocs, though such moves would be difficult given current seat distributions. Meanwhile, an opposition-led parliamentary majority could advance legislation on other matters while coalition negotiations continue, including efforts to establish an inquiry into security failures and potential legislation affecting democratic institutions.
The coalition formation process could extend over weeks or months, and outcomes remain uncertain as political leaders navigate their competing campaign commitments and parliamentary mathematics.
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