Live Updates: Netanyahu bloc 'hopes for a miracle' as Eisenkot begins coalition building process
WJC President Lauder congratulates Herzog on Eisenkot mandate • Shas waiting for UTJ to take first step toward Eisenkot • A-G Baharav-Miara says no evidence of foreign election interference
Follow us on GoogleGadi Eisenkot holds a press conference with head of the National Unity party Benny Gantz at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, February 26, 2024(photo credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)
WJC President Ronald S. Lauder congratulates Herzog on Eisenkot mandate
Eisenkot, Netanyahu have 'very similar views,' Trump says, suggests both would support him
"I guess he said very nice things about me. He says he loves Trump, but I don’t know. I haven’t seen what’s happening,” the president added, referring to Eisenkot.
ByIDAN KWELLERUS President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, US, November 8, 2026.(photo credit: REUTERS/Eric Lee)Go to the full article > >
Shas weighs support for Eisenkot government as haredi parties seek solution to draft crisis
UTJ could pave the way for Shas to join an Eisenkot coalition, acting as its "Shabbos goy" while the Sephardi haredi party seeks to avoid alienating pro-Netanyahu voters.
By103FMA Shas party campaign poster. October 25, 2026(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)Go to the full article > >
Mossad hands Shin Bet findings on suspected foreign election interference
ByAMIR BOBOT
A-G Baharav-Miara says no evidence foreign interference could have changed Knesset election results
Gali Baharav-Miara said decisions on whom to investigate are professional and equal, adding that any new information would be examined in accordance with the law.
Israel’s politicians must put national unity before personal ambition - opinion
What remains to be seen is whether our political leaders have the courage to put the country and national responsibility before personal ambition and ego.
ByMARC TOBINIllustrative image of Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot(photo credit: Miriam Alster/Flash90, NOAM MOSKOVITZ/KNESSET, YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)Go to the full article > >
Shas head Arye Deri withdraws from party list, will not be in 26th Knesset
Shas leader Arye Deri announces he won’t serve in the 26th Knesset, days after rabbis rejected his resignation.
The final voter turnout was 77.7% when polls closed at 10:00 p.m., according to the Central Elections Committee (CEC), up 7.1% from the 2022 election.
Likud remains the largest party: Netanyahu's Likud won 27 seats, followed by Eisenkot's Yashar with 21 and Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad with 12.
Netanyahu's bloc leads, but falls short of a majority: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats.
Arab parties hold 19 seats: The Joint List and Ra'am secured a combined 19 seats, giving them a potentially decisive role in efforts to form the next government.
What happens next? President Isaac Herzog has awarded the mandate to Eisenkot, presenting him with the task of forming the next government. Eisenkot will initially have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to form a coalition.
Could Israel face another election? If no candidate succeeds in forming a government through the prescribed process, the political deadlock could ultimately lead to another election.
