Israel’s Eisenkot Gets 67 Endorsements; Herzog to Decide on Sunday

Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot won recommendations from factions representing 67 of the 120 members of the incoming Knesset, compared with 46 backing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog said on November 5, 2026. Herzog said he would decide on Sunday, November 8, whom to task with forming a government.

In an official statement after consulting the parties, Herzog said the numbers looked clear but mutual vetoes within and between blocs meant it remained uncertain which candidate could actually build a governing coalition. He intends to speak further with party leaders before choosing.

The independent Spanish news agency EFE reported the same 67–46 recommendations and the Sunday announcement. The backing is a recommendation to the president, not a coalition agreement, election victory by 67 seats, or a confidence vote.

This is a material change since TFNOS's November 5 report on certification of the October 27 election results. At that point, the final allocation was known: Netanyahu's bloc had 53 seats, other opposition parties 48, and Arab-led parties 19. The latest consultations show how parties have formally recommended candidates, but they have not resolved disagreements about who would join or support a government.

The Times of Israel reported that the seven-seat United Torah Judaism party, previously allied with Netanyahu, declined to recommend either contender. It also reported that the Joint List recommended Eisenkot despite significant disagreements with him. Recommendations from Arab-led parties do not by themselves establish their participation in a governing coalition.

Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister; Eisenkot has not yet received the mandate or formed a government. Under the Israeli government's procedural notice, the candidate Herzog selects has 28 days to try to assemble a coalition, with a possible extension of 14 days. The next reportable checkpoint is the president's actual mandate decision on November 8, followed by formal coalition commitments and any material judicial or election-authority findings.