Full coverage· Politics· Updated 1 Nov, 21:11

Bennett and Golan Back Eisenkot in Opposition's Bid to Form Government

On Sunday, November 1, 2026, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that his party, B'Yachad, will recommend former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, to President Isaac Herzog to form the next government. Bennett personally informed Eisenkot of the decision, stating that he is respecting the voters' choice. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats, also announced his support for Eisenkot's candidacy.

8 newsrooms · 4 languages · since 1 Nov, 19:48

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Bennett and Golan Back Eisenkot in Opposition's Bid to Form Government — Illustration by baba

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What happened

01Naftali Bennett and Yair Golan announced they will recommend Gadi Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog to form the next government.
02The recommendation comes after recent elections left Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats and the opposition bloc with 48 seats.
03Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party is the largest in the opposition bloc, having secured 21 seats in the election.
04President Isaac Herzog will begin live-broadcast consultations with Knesset factions on Wednesday to assign the government-forming mandate.
05The opposition is exploring a minority government plan that would rely on external support from other parliamentary factions.
06The Arab parties, Ra'am and the Joint List, which hold 19 seats, are expected to recommend Eisenkot to the president.
07Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beytenu presents a major obstacle to the plan, having rejected a coalition dependent on Arab parties.
08United Torah Judaism is reportedly discussing whether to refrain from recommending any candidate for the prime minister role.

The announcement follows recent elections that resulted in a political deadlock. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats, while the opposition bloc won 48, and the Arab parties, Ra'am and the Joint List, won a combined 19 seats. Eisenkot's Yashar party is the largest in the opposition bloc, having won 21 seats, while Bennett's party won 12. President Herzog is scheduled to begin live-broadcast consultations with Knesset factions on Wednesday to assign the mandate.

To form a government, the opposition is exploring the possibility of a minority government that would rely on external support. Senior officials from the Joint List indicated that their party and Ra'am are expected to recommend Eisenkot, which could bring his total recommendations to 67. However, significant challenges remain, as Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beytenu has rejected relying on Arab parties, and United Torah Judaism is reportedly considering not recommending any candidate.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 8 newsrooms. Updated 07:56