Live Updates: Bennett backs Eisenkot as PM as talks with Herzog set for Wednesday
Zini clashes with Shin Bet officials over need to expand tools used in elections interference case • Herzog calls on political leaders to demonstrate flexibility ahead of coalition negotiations
Bennett to recommend Eisenkot as prime minister, B'Yachad party says ahead of meeting with Herzog
According to a statement released by the party, Bennett has told Eisenkot that the party supports him receiving the mandate to form the next government.
ByKESHET NEEVGadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett meet to discuss the future of Israel's government, October 29, 2026.(photo credit: VIA WALLA)Go to the full article > >
Zini clashes with Shin Bet officials over need to expand tools used in elections interference case
Shin Bet chief David Zini wants to expand the foreign election interference probe, but three senior officials oppose using additional methods, KAN reports.
Herzog calls on political leaders to demonstrate flexibility ahead of coalition negotiations
The Joint List and Ra'am are expected to recommend Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister during consultations with President Isaac Herzog, a senior Joint List official told Walla on Sunday.
BySHIR PERETS, KESHET NEEVPresident Isaac Herzog speaks at the State Memorial Ceremony for Chaim Weizmann, the First President of the State of Israel, at Weizmann House in Rehovot, November 1, 2026.(photo credit: AMOS BEN-GERSHOM/GPO)Go to the full article > >
Netanyahu survives the election, but Eisenkot holds key to replacing him - analysis
Netanyahu remains in office without a majority, while Eisenkot must overcome opposition divisions to form a government or face another election.
ByANNA BARSKYA road sign stands in front of a large billboard featuring Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) of the Likud party and former military chief and leader of the centrist Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, in Ramat Gan on October 20, 2026. (photo credit: JACK GUEZ / AFP)Go to the full article > >
Eisenkot lays out four coalition principles, says 'any MK' who accepts them can join government
Eisenkot said on Saturday that any MK willing to endorse his four principles could join a broad Zionist government, as he seeks to translate the October 27 election results into a new coalition.
ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFYashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot alongside members of his party at the party’s election headquarters in Tel Aviv, following the closing of polling stations and the release of exit poll results on Israel’s general election night, October 28, 2026.(photo credit: MIRIAM ALSTER/FLASH90)Go to the full article > >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 is set to hold 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot is set to hold 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.
