Netanyahu's bid to stay on weakens after Israel's election deadlock
United Torah Judaism declined to recommend any candidate for prime minister, and an Arab-led party endorsed Gadi Eisenkot. President Isaac Herzog must decide by November 11 which candidate will try to form a government.
The 27 October election gave neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot a clear majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Likud won 27 seats, the most of any single party. Netanyahu's wider religious-nationalist coalition won 53 seats, and Eisenkot's anti-Netanyahu coalition won 48. Two Arab-minority parties won 19 seats.
Netanyahu accused Arab-led parties of stealing the vote. He cited an investigation into possible vote tampering to cast doubt on the results. Critics said he and his partners were trying to undermine the outcome, which he denies.
Netanyahu's far-right allies, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, called for the immediate arrest and questioning of Arab party leaders. Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who heads the Central Election Committee, told Herzog on Wednesday that the situation was a real danger. He said the peaceful transfer of power is a foundation of democracy.
Key facts
- Who
- Benjamin Netanyahu (Israeli prime minister seeking to stay on, leading caretaker government); Gadi Eisenkot (former military chief and chief political rival of Netanyahu); Isaac Herzog (President of Israel, tasked with picking a candidate to form a government); Noam Sohlberg (Supreme Court justice, head of Israel's Central Election Committee)
- What
- After Israel's October 27 election ended without either Netanyahu or Eisenkot securing a clear parliamentary majority, the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party withheld support for any nominee and an Arab-led party endorsed Eisenkot. President Isaac Herzog must decide by November 11 which candidate to pick to form a government.
- When
- 5 November 2026
- Where
- Israel, Jerusalem
- Status
- Reported