Eisenkot Wins Backing of 67 Lawmakers to Netanyahu's 46 in Israel Race

Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has won the backing of 67 of the 120 members of Israel's Knesset, against 46 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as President Isaac Herzog concluded two days of consultations on Thursday, November 5.

Herzog confirmed the figures Thursday evening and said he will announce on Sunday, November 8, whom he tasks with forming the next government, while cautioning that who can actually assemble a governing majority is "not entirely clear, given the mutual vetoes between the blocs and within the blocs themselves."

Key Points

• Gadi Eisenkot emerged from President Isaac Herzog's consultations on Thursday, November 5, 2026, with 67 of the 120 Knesset members' recommendations, against 46 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• United Torah Judaism's seven members declined to recommend either candidate, the only faction to back no nominee.
• Both Arab-led lists backed Eisenkot: the Joint List (11 seats) and Ra'am (8 seats), a record 19 combined, though their endorsements do not commit them to joining his coalition.
• Herzog will announce on Sunday, November 8, 2026, whom he tasks with forming the next government, and warned a governing majority is far from certain.
• Yashar said 67 is the most recommendations for a prime ministerial candidate since 2015; the mandate lasts 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension.

What Happened

Herzog met on Wednesday and Thursday with the leaders of the parties elected on October 27, asking each faction whom it recommends to form the next government. By Thursday evening the count was settled: 67 for Eisenkot, 46 for Netanyahu, and seven members of United Torah Judaism who declined to recommend anyone.

The result reverses the election night picture. The October 27 vote left Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats and Eisenkot's bloc with 48, with Likud the largest single party at 27, and neither bloc close to the 61 seats needed for a majority. In the consultation count, Eisenkot moved ahead because the Arab parties backed him while Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox allies stayed on the sidelines.

Background and Context

The consultations ended a bitter week in Israeli politics. The October 27 election, the first since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, ended in deadlock, with turnout at 77.7 percent, the highest since 1999. Netanyahu's bloc lost its Knesset majority, finishing with 53 seats to the opposition's 48.

Since the vote, Netanyahu and Likud have challenged the certified results, alleging without evidence that the vote was stolen by Israel's Arab parties and foreign actors. The Central Elections Committee found no evidence of irregularities. Shin Bet chief David Zini has pushed to investigate the Arab parties' leaders, while Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has refused without evidence.

On Thursday, United Torah Judaism, a longstanding ultra-Orthodox ally of Netanyahu, withheld support for any nominee, and an Arab-led party endorsed Eisenkot, as we reported here: Netanyahu's position weakens as ultra-Orthodox party withholds support. Herzog had accepted the certified results and opened consultations earlier in the week: Herzog accepts certified Israel election results and opens government talks.

Eisenkot's 67-46 Lead: What the Numbers Mean

The 67-46 margin is the headline, but the arithmetic underneath matters more. Eisenkot's 67 include the 19 seats of the two Arab-led lists, the Joint List with 11 and Ra'am with 8, plus his own opposition bloc of 48. Yashar noted that 67 is the highest number for a prime minister since 2015.

Yet a recommendation is not a coalition agreement. The Arab lists' endorsements do not commit them to joining an Eisenkot-led government, and the parties inside the opposition bloc disagree sharply on security, religion and the future of the West Bank. Netanyahu still holds 46 recommendations, and United Torah Judaism's seven members could still join a government he leads if the arithmetic changes.

That is why Herzog's caution matters: his job is to choose the candidate most likely to form a government, not simply the one with the most recommendations, and the mutual vetoes between and within the blocs leave the outcome uncertain.

Reactions and Quotes

Herzog confirmed the figures on Thursday evening and set the timetable, saying he intends to announce on Sunday, November 8, whom he will task with forming the next government, while adding that who can actually assemble a governing majority is "not entirely clear, given the mutual vetoes between the blocs and within the blocs themselves."

Yashar welcomed the result, saying 67 is the highest number of recommendations for a prime ministerial candidate since 2015.

Herzog had warned party leaders earlier in the week: "Any reasonable person need only look at the security and diplomatic challenges before us ... to understand that an immense responsibility rests upon us." Justice Noam Sohlberg, chairman of the Central Elections Committee, had also warned when handing over the results: "This is a real danger. One of the foundations of democracy is the peaceful transfer of power."

Why It Matters

The result is the clearest sign yet that Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, may be about to lose power. For a week, the story has been his challenge to the election results and the pressure on the Arab parties. Now the formal count puts his rival ahead by 21, with a majority of the chamber behind Eisenkot.

It matters beyond Israel's borders, too. Israel is in the middle of a war with Iran now in its ninth month, and the United States is pressing for a negotiated settlement. A change of government in Jerusalem would reshape diplomacy around that war, the Gaza ceasefire, and the relationship with Washington. It also matters for Israeli democracy: the election was certified as clean, and the question now is whether the system can produce a government from a result neither bloc won outright.

What Happens Next

Herzog will announce on Sunday, November 8, 2026, whom he tasks with forming the next government. If, as the count suggests, the mandate goes to Eisenkot, he will have 28 days to build a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension, and negotiations with the parties that recommended him will begin in earnest next week.

Netanyahu is not out of the picture. He retains 46 lawmakers, Likud remains the largest single party with 27 seats, and United Torah Judaism's seven members have committed to neither side. If Eisenkot cannot assemble 61 seats, the president could turn to Netanyahu, or Israel could face another election.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the most recommendations to form Israel's next government?
Gadi Eisenkot, with 67 of the 120 Knesset members, against 46 for Benjamin Netanyahu.

When will President Herzog announce his choice?
On Sunday, November 8, 2026, Herzog said he intends to announce whom he will task with forming the next government.

Do the Arab parties' endorsements mean they will join Eisenkot's coalition?
No. The Joint List and Ra'am backed Eisenkot, but their endorsements do not commit them to joining his coalition.

How long does the chosen candidate have to form a government?
The mandate lasts 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension.

What was the result of the October 27 election?
Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats and Eisenkot's bloc 48, with the Arab-led parties taking a record 19. Likud was the largest single party with 27 seats, and turnout was 77.7 percent. No bloc reached 61 seats.