Isaac Herzog Gives Eisenkot 28 Days To Secure 61 Seats With Arab-Led Parties

Deadlock After Election

Israel’s election left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc with 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc with 48 seats, while Arab-led parties held another 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset.

+3Netanyahu bloc seats9 of 10 outlets reported it · not in i24NEWS▾

The Central Election Commission announced that 61 seats were required for a majority, and France 24 said Netanyahu’s bloc fell short of an absolute majority.

Eisenkot could not reach a governing majority without the support of predominantly Arab parties, an option Eisenkot’s allies repeatedly ruled out during the campaign.

President Isaac Herzog consulting party leaders and giving a candidate 28 days to secure support from at least 61 lawmakers, with a possible extension of up to 14 days.

The Hill said Democrats were “heartened by the massive voter turnout” and the erosion of Netanyahu’s support, while Rep. Madeleine Dean said she hoped it “bodes well for a coalition, a governing coalition” that rejects “some of what I find are the most grievous errors of Netanyahu’s time.”

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Arab Parties as Key

Ya Libnan argued that Eisenkot must reconsider his rejection of cooperation with Arab parties and persuade reluctant partners, saying the arithmetic offers “a path” to an Eisenkot-led government supported by Arab parties. Eisenkot and others in his bloc promised not rely on Arab parties’ support, citing Eisenkot’s position that Arab parties’ stances on Hamas and the war in Gaza prevent him from governing with them. Netanyahu told supporters that “Israel has a unique historic opportunity, in cooperation with our main partner Trump, to eliminate the existential Iranian threat completely,” while Eisenkot called on the security establishment to “stand up to” any attempt to place political interests above Israel’s security.

Eisenkot rejects Arab partnership4 of 5 outlets reported it · not in Al-Hurra▾

The kingmaker could now be the Israeli-Arab parties, noting that Raam and United List secured 19 seats together, and Netanyahu’s coalition pushed for investigations into these lists over alleged foreign funding. EL PAÍS captured settlement residents’ fear, with Smotrich’s neighbor Inbal Silverman saying, “If Arabs are part of the government and Smotrich and Ben Gvir leave, no one will protect us and we won’t be able to continue building in Judea and Samaria.”

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What Comes Next

The Hill said the uncertainty in Washington, D.C. would be shaped by how the next government addresses “extremist violence,” and it framed Eisenkot as a more moderate partner on West Bank violence while noting Democrats still worried about the candidates’ shared opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state. One possible outcome was another election if no candidate could assemble a majority, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged leaders “to avoid sending the country back to the polls.” Coalition negotiations could drag on for weeks and Netanyahu’s coalition accused Israeli-Arab parties of foreign funding, with the election commission asking the intelligence service to investigate allegations on Wednesday evening.

Netanyahu’s expected continuation in office gives him room to maneuver militarily even before a new government is formed, and Michael Koplow’s view said a caretaker prime minister does not, in itself, impose constraints preventing action against Iran. The Jerusalem Post live updates said “Liberman rejects possibility of sitting with Arab parties,” while the same page described Yair Netanyahu’s claim that Israel “cannot survive long-term when 20% of its population identifies with its enemies.”

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