Herzog: I’ll work to set up ‘stable’ government, Israel must avoid repeat elections

President Isaac Herzog said this week that he would do everything in his power to see a “stable” government formed after the coming elections, as current polls show neither the coalition nor the main opposition bloc achieving a majority on its own. “I will do everything I can to establish a stable government for Israel. But I’ll say more than that: I really, truly will do all I can so there won’t be repeat elections,” pledged the president, in a pre-recorded interview that aired Monday at a conference for the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. “We need to understand that our national challenges are enormous. We need to wait for the results rather than pass judgment, but we must do everything possible to avoid going back to this again and again and again,” Herzog said. Recent polls show neither the current coalition, nor the main opposition bloc, receiving enough seats in the Knesset to form a government on its own. Parties differ on their willingness to accept support from Arab parties, ultra-Orthodox parties, or Netanyahu in order to reach a majority. When this has occurred in the past, Israel has been thrown into cycles of repeat votes, including a period from 2019-2021 in which the state held four rounds of elections before forming a government, which itself only lasted until late 2022, when the current coalition was elected. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms The president is tasked with asking the candidate who gets the most recommendations from parties after the election to form a government. He can also mediate between factions if there is no clear majority. Asked about the integrity of the upcoming elections, Herzog voiced faith in the Central Elections Committee, noting that he recently held a joint meeting with the heads of the panel and Israel’s largest tech companies to discuss election security. Right-wing and left-wing activists argue at the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem ahead of Israel’s upcoming general elections, October 9, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) Herzog said that he believes everyone will accept the election results, regardless of who wins. He repeated his election season mantra that “elections are not a civil war.” Advertisement “Those who aren’t elected, and those who win, everyone must understand that they belong to the same nation, and the one who is elected must also look after the one who isn’t elected,” he said. Lapid: No “fake ‘unity’ government” with Netanyahu Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who is number two on the B’Yachad party slate, posted on X shortly after the interview was published that he would not support “another fake ‘unity’ government.” He was presumably comparing Herzog’s vision to the emergency coalition formed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack, or the 2020 unity government Benny Gantz formed with Netanyahu, which collapsed. “I very much hope President Herzog will not try to push for another fake ‘unity’ government, in which Netanyahu would once again deceive his partners and bring more and more disasters upon Israeli citizens with the votes of people who voted to remove him from power,” Lapid wrote. “We won’t participate in this, and I call on the rest of the parties in the bloc to announce ahead of time that they won’t be part of such a government,” he said. A Muslim woman walks past a Likud party election campaign billboard featuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alongside opposition leaders and the slogan ‘Right or Palestine,’ in East Jerusalem, October 12, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) The post came a day after, on Sunday, B’Yachad chair Naftali Bennett was criticized for remarking that, if Netanyahu were to accept the party’s “core tenets,” he could sit in a government with them. The ex-prime minister said the line, which drew laughs from the audience, was a joke, and pledged not to sit with the current premier “in any formation.” Advertisement Around the same time as Lapid’s post, Democrats leader Yair Golan shared a clip from a recent interview in which he, similarly, urged opposition party chiefs to pledge, in writing, that they would not sit with Netanyahu, whom he called an “inciter, liar, crook.” Blue and White chief Benny Gantz, however, took issue with Lapid’s post, responding: “Lapid is wrong — if a unity government is not formed in the coming elections, and the two sides don’t work together, they will bring upon us the next October 7.” “Only a Zionist unity government, of both camps, can deal with Iran, with conscription [of the ultra-Orthodox], and with mending the rifts in society,” said the former IDF chief of staff. Neither the Arab-majority parties, nor most of the ultra-Orthodox factions, identify as Zionist. Gantz has refused to align with either the pro- or anti-Netanyahu blocs throughout his election campaign, but he is polling far below the minimum electoral threshold and is therefore not expected to return to the Knesset. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism , please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting. — Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist Support our work Support our work Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You're a dedicated reader We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE , as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members. Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel Join Our Community Join Our Community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 Flydubai passengers said preparing huge class-action suit against airline, governments 2 Transcript reportedly captures PM’s top aide asking stenographer to falsify Oct. 7 records 3 At least 12 killed, more than 300 hurt in Houthi attack on Riyadh airport 4 Iran said still able to produce missiles and drones, is being armed by Russia 5 Ex-AG admits he didn’t approve all police action in criminal probe of Netanyahu or review full indictment 6 Joint Arab List says it’s willing to provide safety net for any anti-Netanyahu coalition 7 One in five Israelis ‘still struggling to function’ since Oct. 7 – new study 8 Biden-era official says Netanyahu delayed Gaza deal in 2024 by adding conditions read more: Israel Inside Isaac Herzog Israel Police IDF Israel Defense Forces settler violence West Bank violent crime in Israel Arab Israelis If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY Already a member? Log in here close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register Paying ToI Community members are invited to comment on articles Email address * Please use the following structure: [email protected] Continue Or Continue with By joining you agree to the terms and conditions Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition back close popup Register to continue Email address * Change REGISTER Or Continue with back close popup Log in to continue Email address * Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.. Continue back close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register You are currently registered. Please join The Times of Israel Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits Only ToI Community members can comment below articles Email address * Password * Incorrect password. Please try again or choose an option below. Forgot your password? / Send me a login link Continue Sign in without joining Or Continue with close popup Check your email We sent an email to you at . It has a link that will sign you in. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. back close popup Join The Times of Israel Community Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits. Email address * Please use the following structure: [email protected] JOIN NOW! close popup Thank you! Now check your email You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.