What Might Israel’s Next Government Look Like? |
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York City on September 24, 2026. Israel may be headed for another round of elections, writes Leon Hadar. (Shutterstock/Noamgalai)
What Might Israel’s Next Government Look Like?
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All major Israeli parties have made election promises they would have to ditch to form a coalition government.
Israel’s October 27 election produced a paradox: Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp finished first but cannot govern, while his opponents hold a majority they may be unable to use. Likud remains the largest party with 27 seats, and its bloc of nationalist and ultra-Orthodox allies totals 53, eight short of the 61 needed. The Zionist opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot holds 48. Arab parties won a record 19 seats, enough to tip the balance in theory, though not obviously in practice.
That arithmetic will define the coming weeks. Every plausible coalition forces someone to break a campaign promise. The question is not only who governs, but how durable, coherent and internationally credible the resulting government will be.
How the Next Israeli Government Is Likely to Form
Once results are certified this week, President Isaac Herzog will consult party leaders and hand the mandate to the candidate with the best chance of success. That candidate will have 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension. Eisenkot is the frontrunner for the first mandate: Naftali Bennett’s party has endorsed him, and the Arab parties are set to recommend him too.
But recommendations do not make a coalition. Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman both ruled out governing with Arab parties, and Lieberman has repeated that since the vote. That leaves Eisenkot with three costly routes. He can seek outside Arab........