President Herzog Expected to Task Eisenkot First With Government Formation

President Isaac Herzog is expected to first task Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the "Yashar!" party, with forming the next government, a day after Israelis went to the polls. This decision is based on the number of recommendations each candidate receives from Knesset members. While the president has broad discretion, the number of recommendations carries significant weight, making Eisenkot the likely first choice.

If Eisenkot receives the mandate, he will be able to lead the Knesset and the organizing committee to establish a government. President Herzog praised the high voter turnout in the recent election, calling it a "badge of honor for Israeli society" and a testament to the "significant desire for democracy in Israel."

Herzog stated that he will officially receive the election results next week from Judge Solberg and will then begin consultations with all factions. He emphasized the need to "do everything, certainly after yesterday, not to repeat additional elections" and expressed his expectation that all parties will approach the process with an "open mind."

As of 2:30 PM, approximately 85.5% of votes have been counted, excluding double envelopes. The Netanyahu bloc currently stands at 53 seats, while Eisenkot's bloc has 48. Arab parties collectively have 19 seats. The Likud party has 26 seats, Eisenkot's "Yashar" has 21, the Joint List has 12, and Benneth's "Yachad" also has 12. The Democrats have 8 seats, and Yisrael Beiteinu has 7. Ra'am, United Torah Judaism, Shas, and Otzma Yehudit each have 7 seats. Religious Zionism-Identity has 6 seats. Hillel Zaltzman and Ofer Winter's parties did not pass the electoral threshold. Approximately 800 ballot boxes are still being counted due to a review process.