Israel's President to Begin Coalition Consultations for Government Formation

President Isaac Herzog is set to commence consultations with Knesset factions on Wednesday to assign the mandate for forming a new government, following the presentation of election results by Central Elections Committee Chairman Noam Sohlberg. The president has seven days from the publication of election results to task a Knesset member with forming a government, prioritizing the candidate with the best chance of assembling a coalition that can win a Knesset majority of at least 61 members, not necessarily the head of the largest party.

During the consultations, each faction will present its position and recommend a candidate. Factions can recommend a specific candidate, abstain from recommending anyone, or present a conditional stance, though ultimately they must choose one candidate or abstain. A faction cannot recommend two different candidates simultaneously; their votes are counted based on the number of Knesset members supporting a candidate, not the election vote count.

In cases of a tie in recommendations or no clear majority, the president will assess which candidate has a better potential to attract additional parties or forge compromises. He may also hold a second round of consultations to explore potential flexibility. Historically, presidents have sometimes pressured leading candidates to form a national unity government, as seen in 1984.

Once a candidate receives the mandate, they have 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension at the president's discretion. If the first candidate fails, the president can task another Knesset member, who then has 28 days without an extension. If this also fails, at least 61 Knesset members can propose a candidate to the president, who must then assign the mandate. This third candidate has 14 days without extension. If all attempts fail, the Knesset is considered dissolved, and new elections must be held within 90 days.