Politics
Israeli election deadlock leaves Arab parties as kingmakers as Herzog opens coalition talks
November 4, 2026 at 06:45 PM
3 reports · 1 in Arabic, 2 in English · over 2 hours
TGThe Guardian
Win or lose? Inside the 6 November Guardian Weekly
(opens the publisher’s site)
يواليوم السابع
القائمة العربية الموحدة: سوف نوصي بأن يشكل آيزنكوت الحكومة الإسرائيلية المقبلة
(opens the publisher’s site)
BNBBC News
Israel's president to begin consultations with parties after election deadlock
(opens the publisher’s site)Israel's president has begun coalition consultations after a deadlocked election left Arab parties with an unprecedented 19 parliamentary seats.
- Herzog will begin consultations on Wednesday evening after official results showed no party bloc secured a majority.
- Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats and Eisenkot's bloc 48, while two Arab alliances together won an unprecedented 19 seats on record turnout.
- Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen said the bloc would offer tactical support to an Eisenkot-led minority government.
- Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of attempting "a veritable pogrom against democracy" after the attorney-general rejected calls to interrogate Arab politicians.
- The United Arab List (Ra'am) announced it will recommend former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot be tasked with forming Israel's next government.