Live Updates: Eisenkot to receive mandate as Netanyahu blasted for call for unity government

Shas claims reports of joining Eisenkot-led coalition 'fake news' • Netanyahu calls for unity government in first since election • Golan seeks partnership with haredi factions

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Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot and President Isaac Herzog, November 7, 2026.

Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot and President Isaac Herzog, November 7, 2026.

(photo credit: ARNON BOSSANI)

November 8, 4:37 AM

Shas claims reports of party joining potential Eisenkot-led coalition 'complete fake news'

Shas's statement comes following an N12 report that Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman dropped his veto on forming a government with haredi parties.

ByANNA BARSKY, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

Shas chairman Arye Deri attends a vote at the plenum hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on July 16, 2026.

Shas chairman Arye Deri attends a vote at the plenum hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on July 16, 2026.

(photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

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November 8, 4:37 AM

'Greatest destroyer of the State of Israel': Tibi blasts Netanyahu after appeal for unity gov't

ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

November 8, 4:36 AM

Golan responds to Netanyahu, says prime minister 'cannot be a part of fixing Israel'

ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

November 8, 4:36 AM

Yashar's Eisenkot to receive mandate to form new government, president announces

Should all attempts to form a government fail, the Knesset would be dissolved, and another election would be held.

BySHIR PERETS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot and President Isaac Herzog, November 7, 2026.

Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot and President Isaac Herzog, November 7, 2026.

(photo credit: ARNON BOSSANI)

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November 8, 4:35 AM

'Pathetic spin': Yashar rejects Netanyahu's appeal for unity government

ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

November 8, 4:35 AM

Netanyahu calls for unity government in first since election, warns of 'coalitions with Islamists'

Netanyahu called for a unity government on Saturday, warning that an opposition coalition backed by Islamists would threaten Israel's future and security.

ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, ASHER SMITH

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a unity government for the first time since the last elections. (Credit: Prime Minister's Office)

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November 8, 4:35 AM

Golan says seeking 'partnership' with haredim over draft laws, doesn't want to 'punish' them

ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

November 8, 4:34 AM

Bereaved families' forum seeks Shin Bet probe into alleged Ra'am voter-tracking app

The application, called Aswatcom, allegedly enabled activists to track voter participation in real time at individual polling stations and manage the party's election-day operations.

ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Ra'am party head MK Mansour Abbas leads a faction meeting, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on June 29, 2026.

Ra'am party head MK Mansour Abbas leads a faction meeting, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on June 29, 2026.

(photo credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)

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Israel votes 2026: All you need to know

The final voter turnout was 77.7% when polls closed at 10:00 p.m., according to the Central Elections Committee (CEC), up 7.1% from the 2022 election.
Likud remains the largest party: Netanyahu's Likud won 27 seats, followed by Eisenkot's Yashar with 21 and Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad with 12.
Netanyahu's bloc leads, but falls short of a majority: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats.
Arab parties hold 19 seats: The Joint List and Ra'am secured a combined 19 seats, giving them a potentially decisive role in efforts to form the next government.
What happens next? Once the official results are published, President Isaac Herzog will consult with representatives of the elected parties before tasking a lawmaker with forming the next government. The designated candidate will initially have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to form a coalition.
Could Israel face another election? If no candidate succeeds in forming a government through the prescribed process, the political deadlock could ultimately lead to another election.

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