Israel's 26th Knesset Convenes Amid Ongoing Government Formation Stalemate

During the ceremony, President Herzog welcomed the oldest member of the Knesset, 81-year-old Chaim Katz, and the youngest member in the parliament's history, Yonatan Shilo. Lawmakers arrived at the Knesset in the morning to receive ceremonial flowers and take photos with their families before taking their loyalty oaths in the afternoon.

While government coalition negotiations remain stalled, parties in the change bloc submitted signatures to replace the current Knesset Speaker, Amir Ohana of the Likud party. Gadi Eisenkot and Avigdor Liberman met to discuss forming the next government, agreeing on a candidate to succeed Ohana. According to Ynetnews, Eisenkot leads the Yashar party and nominated Matan Kahana for the position, whereas Makan reported that Eisenkot heads Yesh Atid, which would nominate the next speaker.

The change bloc also finalized candidates for other key parliamentary roles. These nominations include Roy Folkman and Avigdor Liberman for committee chair positions, while Liran Avisar Ben-Horin is slated to chair the Finance Committee, potentially becoming the first woman to lead it.