US Officials: Trump Not Planning to Interfere in Israeli Government Formation

U.S. administration officials have stated that President Donald Trump does not intend to intervene in the process of forming the Israeli government at this time. They indicated that Washington understands that imposing a unity government on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "Yesh!" party leader Gadi Eisenkot would not yield results currently. Israeli sources speaking to Israel's Channel 13 on Friday evening added that the U.S. administration is not planning to exert pressure to force a political agreement between the two sides, given the existing disagreements over forming the next government.

In a related development, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to task Eisenkot with forming a government on Sunday. This follows Eisenkot receiving recommendations from 67 Knesset members, compared to 46 who recommended Netanyahu remain prime minister. Seven members abstained from endorsing either candidate. Herzog had announced on Thursday the conclusion of consultations with party representatives who won seats in the Knesset elections, but noted that the recommendation results do not definitively determine who can form a government, due to mutual veto powers among and within political blocs. He affirmed he would hold further talks with party leaders before making his final decision.

These developments come after the Israeli elections held on October 27, which did not result in either bloc securing a parliamentary majority to form a government independently. Netanyahu's Likud party won 27 seats, while Eisenkot's "Yesh!" party secured 21 seats. According to election results, the bloc supporting Netanyahu holds 53 seats, against 48 seats for the Arab parties that oppose him. The Arab parties, which won 19 seats, recommended tasking Eisenkot with forming the government, raising his recommendation count to 67, though this does not guarantee a cohesive governing coalition.

The new Knesset is set to begin its work on November 10, amidst moves by the bloc opposing Netanyahu to change Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. This action aims to alter the legislative body's leadership before government formation negotiations are finalized. Under Israeli law, a candidate tasked by the president with forming a government has 28 days to complete the task, with a possible extension of up to 14 additional days. If they fail, the task can be transferred to another Knesset member.