Israeli Opposition Leaders Meet Amid Government Formation Talks

Opposition party leaders are scheduled to hold their first meeting since the Knesset elections on Tuesday, November 3, at the Dan Accadia Hotel in Herzliya. Representatives from the Ra'am and Joint List parties will not attend. Leaders including Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Lapid have previously declared their support for Gadi Eisenkot as a candidate for Prime Minister. However, disagreements persist among opposition factions regarding the candidate for Knesset Speaker. The Yisrael Beiteinu and Yahad parties back Yair Lapid for the role, while Eisenkot's party insists on a representative from Yashar. A key obstacle to changing the current Knesset Speaker is the requirement of 90 mandates.

On November 4, President Yitzhak Herzog will begin consultations with parties that passed the electoral threshold. Avigdor Lieberman stated that forming a government is possible even in the current parliamentary situation, emphasizing the need to avoid new elections. He believes a stable government can be created quickly without Ra'am and the Joint List, and did not mention ultra-Orthodox parties.

Among the ultra-Orthodox parties, there is no unified stance on recommending a Prime Minister. Shas has announced it will recommend Netanyahu, while United Torah Judaism is still in consultations. It is possible that Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox parties may refrain from making a recommendation.

Gadi Eisenkot is expected to begin forming a government early next week, with the support of at least 59 lawmakers. He will have 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. If he fails, the mandate will pass to Benjamin Netanyahu. Should Netanyahu also fail, a three-week period will commence where any Knesset member can attempt to form a 61-vote majority. If no government is formed after this period, early elections for the 27th Knesset will be called.