Eisenkot Wins 67 Lawmaker Recommendations as Netanyahu Faces Coalition Setback
Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot received recommendations from 67 of the Knesset's 120 members to attempt to form a government, compared with 46 supporting caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following consultations with President Isaac Herzog on 5 November 2026. Arab-led Ra'am and the Joint List, holding a combined 19 seats, backed Eisenkot's nomination, while Netanyahu's longtime ally United Torah Judaism, with seven seats, declined to recommend either candidate. Herzog said he intends to choose a candidate on Sunday, 8 November. The recommendations are not a governing coalition: the October 27 election left Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats and Eisenkot's opposition bloc with 48, and divisions over cooperation with Arab parties and other coalition conditions mean the outcome remains uncertain. Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister as negotiations continue.
