Jerusalem, 3 November, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s opposition parties agreed to move immediately to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government with a new national emergency government, with Gadi Eisenkot expected to receive their backing as the next prime minister, the parties announced Monday.
Leaders of the Change and Reform bloc met in Herzliya for their first joint meeting to coordinate preparations for the swearing-in of the new Knesset and formation of Israel’s next government. They said they would use their parliamentary majority to advance the transition as soon as the new legislature convenes.
The parties agreed to recommend Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar! party, to President Isaac Herzog as the candidate to receive the first mandate to form a government. They said their goal was to establish a new coalition quickly and avoid forcing Israel into another election.
The statement also accused Likud and Netanyahu of conducting a campaign to undermine the election results and the Central Elections Committee, pledging to defend the outcome and the democratic process.
The developments came as Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s office said he will break with tradition by beginning consultations on forming the next government with the Knesset’s smallest political factions, seeking to explore alternative coalition possibilities before meeting with the larger parties.
“This decision was intended to allow for a broad examination of the full range of options on the agenda before consultations with the larger factions take place, and to generate outside-the-box thinking,” the President’s office said, adding that Herzog is open to holding a second round of consultations if necessary.
On Wednesday, Herzog will meet with representatives of Religious Zionism-Zehut, Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu. Thursday’s meetings will include United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit, the Democrats, Ra’am, the predominantly Arab Joint List, Beyachad, Yashar! and Likud.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party emerged as the largest in the Knesset, while the opposition camp led by Gadi Eisenkot is the larger parliamentary bloc. The two Arab parties combined to win an unprecedented 19 seats.
After completing the consultations, Herzog will designate a member of the Knesset to form the next government. Under Israeli law, the designated lawmaker will have 28 days to assemble a government, with the president authorized to grant an extension of up to 14 additional days.
With 120 seats in the Knesset, a coalition typically needs the backing of at least 61 lawmakers. Smaller parties could therefore hold the balance of power.
