This dossier follows Israel’s 27 October 2026 parliamentary election, from voting to the formation of a majority. It distinguishes opinion polls, vote counting and official results from coalition agreements still to be negotiated.
November 2007 archive; does not show the 2026 consultations. Effib, CC BY-SA 4.0; unmodified. — Effib / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ — November 2007; unmodified.
Where things stand
As of 5 November 2026, Eisenkot has 67 recommendations against Netanyahu’s 46. Herzog says he will make his choice on Sunday; no coalition agreement is established.
Israel: Eisenkot wins 67 recommendations as Herzog defers choice until Sunday
Gadi Eisenkot secured recommendations from 67 lawmakers to form Israel’s government, against Benjamin Netanyahu’s 46, after consultations on 5 November 2026. President Isaac Herzog said he would announce his choice on Sunday.
November 2007 archive; does not show the 2026 consultations. Effib, CC BY-SA 4.0; unmodified. — Effib / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ — November 2007; unmodified.
Support from Ra’am and the Joint List adds to recommendations from opposition parties. Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox ally United Torah Judaism declined to recommend any candidate.
A majority in the consultations does not amount to a coalition agreement. Herzog must assess the candidate’s ability to form a government. Eisenkot had not yet received the mandate in the reports reviewed; the terms of Arab parties’ support remained subject to negotiation.
Israel: Ra’am decides to recommend Eisenkot to form a government
Mansour Abbas’s Arab party Ra’am announced on 4 November 2026 that it would recommend Gadi Eisenkot to form Israel’s next government. The decision preceded its meeting with President Isaac Herzog during parliamentary consultations.
The Knesset, November 2007. Archive image; not the consultations. Effib, CC BY-SA 4.0. — Effib / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ — November 2007; unmodified.
The recommendation adds support for Eisenkot beyond the Jewish opposition parties. It follows an election that gave neither camp a clear majority.
The president chooses who receives the mandate after consulting the parties. Ra’am’s announcement concerns that designation; it does not mean a coalition agreement has been reached or a new government has already been formed.
Netanyahu says he is open to talks on a broader government
Benjamin Netanyahu said in a message on the evening of 2 November 2026 that he was willing to discuss a broad national government under his leadership. The Israeli prime minister maintained his rejection of a government dependent on Ra’am or the Joint List.
The Knesset in June 2005. Archive image; the November 2026 negotiations are not shown. — Joshua Paquin / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ — 5 juin 2005 ; correction de perspective préexistante, sans modification supplémentaire.
The appeal addresses his partners and parties meeting his political conditions. His accusations against the two Arab-led parties represent his position, rather than an established finding arising from the announcement.
The Times of Israel notes that the four main Zionist opposition parties have ruled out joining a government led by him. Openness to dialogue therefore does not amount to a coalition agreement. The reports consulted do not establish that the message produced a new governing majority.
Israel election committee chief defends vote's validity
Israel's Central Elections Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg said on 1 November 2026 that the parliamentary vote had been conducted properly and that suspicions under examination did not undermine its results as a whole. He appeared in a video message with other judicial and security officials.
Knesset building, May 2007. Archive photograph; it shows neither the vote nor the 2026 video message. — James Emery / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ — 4 mai 2007, sans modification.
Sohlberg said suspicions were not proof and that the inquiry into possible interference remained confidential. He said available material was insufficient to change the overall results. This official position is not a publication of the investigation's conclusions.
The official results are still scheduled to be delivered to President Isaac Herzog on 4 November. Challenges to the vote are separate from coalition negotiations: these reports establish no new agreement capable of forming a majority.
Tel Aviv protesters call for a majority involving Arab parties
Protesters gathered at Tel Aviv's Habima Square on October 31, 2026 to demand cooperation in government between Jewish and Arab parties after the parliamentary election. The Times of Israel describes a rally led by Standing Together; Arabic-language reporting relays the same demand.
The Knesset in June 2005. Archive photograph; it does not show the protest. — Joshua Paquin / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ — 5 juin 2005 ; correction de perspective préexistante, sans modification supplémentaire.
The newspaper's live report estimated about 500 participants at 8:24pm. Other accounts refer to thousands: these estimates do not necessarily cover the same time or geographic scope.
The issue is forming a majority: Netanyahu's bloc has 53 seats, Jewish opposition parties 48 and Arab parties 19, according to the reported count. Adding seats together does not constitute a coalition agreement.
Israel: full vote count confirms lack of a majority
Israel's election committee published the full count for the 27 October election overnight on 29–30 October 2026: 53 seats for Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc, 48 for Gadi Eisenkot's and 19 for Arab parties, according to matching reports.
The Knesset in June 2005. Archive photograph; it does not depict the 2026 election. Perspective corrected previously. — Joshua Paquin / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ — 5 juin 2005 ; correction de perspective préexistante, sans modification supplémentaire.
Neither main bloc reaches the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset. Likud remains the largest party with 27 seats.
The Times of Israel says the results are due to be presented to President Isaac Herzog on 4 November after remaining checks, with the Knesset's swearing-in scheduled for 10 November. Completion of the count does not mean a government has already been formed.
