{
  "id": "israel-election-2026",
  "title": "Israel forms a new government",
  "category": "election",
  "countries": [
    {
      "iso3": "ISR",
      "name": "Israel"
    }
  ],
  "status": "Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot holds the mandate to form a government, and his bloc is moving to replace the Netanyahu-allied Knesset speaker. After Netanyahu attacked Arab parties at the Nov 10 swearing-in, Eisenkot's camp called off planned talks with Likud.",
  "summary": [
    "In the October 27 election, Prime Minister Netanyahu's bloc won 53 of 120 seats, the bloc backing challenger Gadi Eisenkot won 48, and Arab-led parties won a record 19. In consultations with President Herzog, 67 lawmakers, including those from both Arab-majority parties, recommended Eisenkot, 46 recommended Netanyahu and seven abstained, while United Torah Judaism, traditionally aligned with Netanyahu, endorsed neither candidate. Netanyahu's Likud filed 1,200 complaints over voting in Arab communities, but the election commission found no evidence of irregularities affecting the results, and the results were certified on Nov 4. The makeup of any Eisenkot coalition is unclear: Haaretz reports he has signaled readiness for a minority government, which Liberman has ruled out, and Liberman says easing the draft demand could bring ultra-Orthodox parties into a coalition that does not rely on Arab support. Herzog is due to name his candidate on Nov 8, and the new Knesset convenes Nov 10."
  ],
  "why_it_matters": null,
  "changed_recently": [
    {
      "text": "After Netanyahu's Nov 10 attack on Arab parties, Eisenkot's camp cancelled planned talks with Likud. Eisenkot called the speech 'delusional' (Fox News, Haaretz). Haaretz reported that other bloc leaders learned of the meeting only after it was called off. Eisenkot urged the caretaker prime minister to avoid security operations that can wait for the new government (Anadolu Agency). His bloc has asked for a vote to replace Speaker Amir Ohana and agreed to nominate Matan Kahana (Haaretz, The New Arab). On the Knesset's first working day, rival bills on military enlistment and draft exemptions were filed (Haaretz). Ra'am's Mansour Abbas said Netanyahu had sought coalition talks with him shortly before the speech (Haaretz).",
      "sources": []
    }
  ],
  "key_numbers": [
    {
      "label": "Knesset seats: Netanyahu bloc / Eisenkot bloc / Arab-led parties (61 needed)",
      "value": "53 / 48 / 19",
      "who_says": "NBC News",
      "as_of": null,
      "source_url": "https://www.nbcnews.com/world/israel/israels-final-election-results-show-neither-netanyahu-rival-can-immedi-rcna606290"
    }
  ],
  "expert_views": [],
  "confidence": {
    "level": "medium",
    "reason": "The swearing-in and Eisenkot's mandate are on the record; coalition positions rely partly on unnamed sources and are shifting."
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "outlet": "Fox News",
      "outlet_country": "US",
      "date": "2026-11-11",
      "url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/israels-political-shake-up-enters-new-phase-former-pm-plays-kingmaker-deadline-looms"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Haaretz",
      "outlet_country": "Israel",
      "date": "2026-11-11",
      "url": "https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-11-11/ty-article/.premium/eisenkot-bloc-leaders-were-unaware-of-yashars-planned-talks-with-likud/000001a1-ca01-d1f4-a7f9-cac3d5240000"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Anadolu Agency",
      "outlet_country": "Turkey",
      "date": "2026-11-11",
      "url": "https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israel-s-eisenkot-warns-netanyahu-against-dangerous-moves-before-new-government-takes-office/4121346"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Haaretz",
      "outlet_country": "Israel",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "url": "https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-11-10/ty-article/.premium/eisenkots-bloc-requests-vote-to-replace-netanyahu-ally-as-knesset-speaker/000001a1-c5bc-dba2-a9f9-d5fc26880000"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Haaretz",
      "outlet_country": "Israel",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "url": "https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-11-10/ty-article/.premium/netanyahu-rants-against-arab-mks-at-knesset-toast-pleads-for-unity-government/000001a1-c62c-dba2-a9f9-d77c71580000"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Anadolu Agency",
      "outlet_country": "Turkey",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "url": "https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/opposition-leader-gadi-eisenkot-slams-netanyahu-s-shameful-knesset-speech-urges-israeli-emergency-government/4119451"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "France 24",
      "outlet_country": "France",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "url": "https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261110-eisenkot-pushes-october-7-inquiry-as-netanyahu-targets-arab-parties-in-tense-new-parliament"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "The Guardian",
      "outlet_country": "UK",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/nov/10/israeli-opposition-hurries-to-seize-control-as-new-knesset-is-sworn-in"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Haaretz",
      "outlet_country": "Israel",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "url": "https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-11-10/ty-article/.premium/israels-new-knesset-sworn-in-as-eisenkot-seeks-to-form-government/000001a1-c600-d0f7-adfb-f721e5770000"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "France 24",
      "outlet_country": "France",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "url": "https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261110-live-new-israeli-parliament-sworn-in-eisenkot-aims-to-form-government-netanyahu-knesset"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Times of Israel",
      "outlet_country": "Israel",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "url": "https://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-said-ready-to-recognize-hamas-as-terror-group-in-exchange-for-real-partnership/"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Haaretz",
      "outlet_country": "Israel",
      "date": "2026-11-04",
      "url": "https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-11-04/ty-article/.premium/israels-election-commission-finds-no-evidence-of-fraud-amid-netanyahus-claims/000001a1-a549-d5c5-ade1-bd7fcc460000"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "France 24",
      "outlet_country": "France",
      "date": "2026-11-06",
      "url": "https://www.france24.com/en/video/20261106-israel-president-to-announce-sunday-who-will-form-new-government"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "France 24",
      "outlet_country": "France",
      "date": "2026-11-06",
      "url": "https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261106-israel-s-eisenkot-claims-significant-progress-in-coalition-talks-as-opposition-eases-on-ultra-orthodox-draft"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Times of Israel",
      "outlet_country": "Israel",
      "date": "2026-11-06",
      "url": "https://www.timesofisrael.com/liberman-urges-painful-compromise-on-haredi-enlistment-bucking-years-long-vow/"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "The Hindu",
      "outlet_country": "India",
      "date": "2026-11-06",
      "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/israel-opposition-eases-on-ultra-orthodox-draft-to-oust-netanyahu/article71675551.ece"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Haaretz",
      "outlet_country": "Israel",
      "date": "2026-11-06",
      "url": "https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-11-06/ty-article/.premium/eisenkot-signals-readiness-for-minority-government-to-replace-netanyahu/000001a1-b12a-defa-a7f7-bd7f4c110000"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Anadolu Agency",
      "outlet_country": "Turkey",
      "date": "2026-11-06",
      "url": "https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-opposition-leader-eisenkot-reports-progress-in-talks-to-form-emergency-government/4114474"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "NBC News",
      "outlet_country": "United States",
      "date": "2026-10-29",
      "url": "https://www.nbcnews.com/world/israel/israels-final-election-results-show-neither-netanyahu-rival-can-immedi-rcna606290"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
      "outlet_country": "Qatar",
      "date": "2026-11-05",
      "url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/5/israels-herzog-accepts-vote-results-opens-talks-on-forming-a-government"
    },
    {
      "outlet": "Haaretz",
      "outlet_country": "Israel",
      "date": "2026-11-05",
      "url": "https://haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-11-05/ty-article/.premium/eisenkot-secures-parliamentary-majority-clearest-path-to-form-govt/000001a1-ad0b-d041-a5f9-ed2bbb1f0000"
    }
  ],
  "updated": "2026-11-11",
  "page": "https://verorbis.com/e/israel-election-2026/",
  "interactive": "https://verorbis.com/#e-israel-election-2026",
  "license": {
    "text": "Summaries and curation: CC BY 4.0. Cite \"Verorbis\" and link to https://verorbis.com/e/israel-election-2026/.",
    "third_party": "Numbers from third parties keep their own licenses and credit lines.",
    "credits": [
      "UCDP Candidate Events Dataset (CC BY 4.0), Uppsala Conflict Data Program",
      "UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database (CC BY 4.0)",
      "World Bank World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)",
      "V-Dem via Our World in Data (CC BY-SA 4.0)",
      "Harvard Growth Lab, Atlas of Economic Complexity (CC0)",
      "GDELT Project",
      "U.S. Energy Information Administration and Federal Reserve, via FRED",
      "European Central Bank reference rates; US Treasury daily par yield curve; Federal Reserve Bank of New York (EFFR)"
    ]
  }
}