# Israel president opens talks as rivals struggle to form government

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/israel-president-opens-talks-as-rivals-struggle-to-form-government/
- Published: 2026-11-04T06:24:18+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T04:26:55+00:00
- Original publisher: CNA (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/israel-president-talks-rivals-form-government-6522491
- Topics: Government, Middle East, Politics, World

## Key points

- Herzog has started consultations after Israel’s election produced no majority.
- Netanyahu’s bloc has 53 seats; Eisenkot’s has 48.
- Arab parties’ 19 seats could shape efforts to form a government.

## Summary

President Isaac Herzog has begun consultations with Israel’s political parties after an election left neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with enough seats to govern alone. Herzog must decide who gets the first chance to form a government, and is seeking to avoid another election amid deep political divisions after years of war and Netanyahu’s hard-right rule.

Netanyahu’s bloc has 53 seats in the 120-member parliament, while Eisenkot’s has 48; 61 are needed for a majority. Eisenkot could reach that threshold with support from Arab parties, which won 19 seats, but some opposition figures oppose relying on their votes. The process allows 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, for the first candidate to form a government; repeated failure could lead to fresh elections.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.