Israeli President Herzog Starts Government Talks After Deadlocked Vote

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has started talks with party leaders to form a new government after an election left no bloc with a majority in Parliament. Herzog called for compromise and urged leaders to avoid new elections, saying neither side won a clear victory.

Election Results

Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his rival Gadi Eisenkot secured a majority in the 120-seat Parliament following the October 27 vote. Netanyahu's Likud party and its allies won 53 seats, while Eisenkot's centrist bloc won 48 seats. Two Arab-led alliances secured an unprecedented 19 seats together after a surge in voter turnout, making them potential kingmakers. The Central Elections Committee approved the final results after auditing 9,069 polling stations and finding no evidence of irregularities.

Political Tensions

Herzog condemned racist rhetoric and coarseness directed at the Arab minority, which makes up about 20% of Israel's population, after Netanyahu went on the offensive against Arab-majority lists. Netanyahu accused Arab leaders of accepting money from Qatar and pointed to cash envelope arrests on election day. Meanwhile, opposition figures accused Netanyahu of trying to undermine democracy and delegitimise the vote.

Context

Israel has faced repeated political deadlocks in recent years, holding multiple elections as shifting coalitions struggle to maintain stable majorities. The country's president plays a largely ceremonial role during routine times but holds the crucial responsibility of deciding which political figure gets the first chance to build a ruling coalition after a general election.