Israel's Government Formation: Herzog Begins Consultations

President Isaac Herzog began the required talks with Israeli party leaders on Wednesday, November 4, to determine who will form the next government. The meetings started at the President’s Residence following a brief pause caused by a security screening alert. A machine flagged a visitor, halting entry to the compound until the issue was resolved, according to a statement from the residence.

The Central Elections Committee approved the final results on Wednesday morning. They found no evidence that the ongoing Shin Bet investigation into suspected foreign funding from Qatar and Turkey compromised the vote in Arab communities. Herzog received the certified results at noon. By law, the president must consult Knesset factions in ascending order of their seat counts before assigning the formation mandate.

Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionist Party and serving as Finance Minister, was the first to meet with Herzog. His party has already stated it will support Benjamin Netanyahu for the role. The consultation process was scheduled to continue into Thursday evening, involving other factions in the Knesset.

The political situation remains tight. The opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot, won 48 seats. If the Arab parties honor their 19 recommendations, Eisenkot would hold 67 seats in total. This majority could lead Herzog to grant him the mandate over Netanyahu. Other potential outcomes include a unity government or a minority cabinet. If negotiations fail, Israel may face another election.