Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has announced that his Together parliamentary bloc will recommend Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, to President Isaac Herzog as the candidate to form the next government. This development serves to bolster Eisenkot’s prospects of securing the initial mandate from the president. According to a statement released by Bennett’s party, the decision was made under his direct guidance, and Eisenkot has already been informed of the support.
The move arrives as Eisenkot has publicly addressed the results of the 26th Knesset elections, which took place last Tuesday. Describing the outcome as “firm and clear,” Eisenkot referenced the assurances provided by Justice Noam Sohlberg, the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, regarding the integrity of the voting process. Following the official publication of results on Friday, the seat distribution stands as follows: Likud with 27 seats, Yashar with 21, Together with 12, and the Democrats with eight. Additionally, the Joint List secured 11 seats, and the United Arab List, or Ra’am, holds eight.
While Netanyahu’s bloc commands 53 seats compared to 48 for the opposition and 19 for Arab parties, no major bloc has reached the 61-seat threshold required for a majority in the 120-member parliament. Voter turnout for the election was 77.9 percent. Reports from Israel’s Channel 12 indicate that the Democrats Party, led by Yair Golan, also intends to recommend Eisenkot during upcoming consultations, though Golan has yet to issue an official statement.
Eisenkot has strongly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party for their efforts to challenge the election results and push for another round of voting. In a post on the social media platform X, Eisenkot characterized these attempts as “despicable and malicious,” asserting that the campaign to delegitimize the vote and force new elections has failed. He argued that such tactics damage public trust in state institutions.
President Isaac Herzog is expected to begin formal consultations with party representatives on November 4, the same day Justice Sohlberg is scheduled to submit the final results. The candidate tasked with forming a government will receive 28 days to complete the process, with a potential 14-day extension available.
