Israel’s President Herzog Starts Coalition Talks After Election Stalemate

President Isaac Herzog announced on Wednesday that he has entered consultations with Israel’s political parties to determine who will be given the mandate to form a new coalition government.

The official results were presented to Herzog by Central Election Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg during a ceremony in Jerusalem.

Herzog warned party leaders that not every commitment and promise can be be fulfilled if they hope to avoid a fresh election.

In the 27 October vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right‑wing Likud bloc, together with its far‑right and ultra‑Orthodox allies, secured 53 of the 120 Knesset seats.

Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot saw his centrist Yashar party and three other Jewish opposition parties win 48 seats.

Two Arab‑led alliances – the United Arab List and the Joint List – together captured an unprecedented 19 seats, thanks to higher turnout among Arab voters.

All but one of the Jewish parties had pledged before the election not to join a government that includes the Arab blocs, making the 19 seats potentially decisive.

Earlier, electoral officials said there was no evidence of irregularities and dismissed Netanyahu’s claims that Arab parties were “stealing” the election as insufficient to delay certification.

The Shin Bet security service is probing alleged foreign interference, but the head of the Central Elections Committee said it would not fundamentally alter the outcome.

Under Israel’s system, the president – a largely ceremonial figure – must invite a Knesset member to try to build a coalition. That individual has 28 days, with a possible 14‑day extension, to succeed.

Herzfe’s discretion allows him to select any member he believes has the best chance of assembling a governing majority, not necessarily the leader of the largest party.

The deadlock underscores deep political divisions within Israel as parties grapple with the prospect of a fragmented parliament.

The next steps will reveal whether a coalition can be forged without a new election.