Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appealed for the creation of an expanded coalition government under his leadership, while ruling out participation from Arab parties. Speaking on Monday following Tuesday's legislative elections, Netanyahu stated that his party, Likud, seeks to form a broader government with partners who do not support terrorism. He emphasized that he is open to dialogue on this matter but noted that the Israeli public does not want an executive dependent on Ra'am and the Joint List, two Arab formations that achieved record results in the vote.
Netanyahu accused these Arab parties of supporting terrorism and denying the existence of the Jewish state. He asserted that a clear majority of the Jewish people chose Likud as the largest party and selected him to lead the next government. The election results left the country in a political impasse less than a week later, as neither the pro-government bloc nor the opposition secured the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. Likud won 27 seats, six more than Yashar!, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, but fell short of controlling the Knesset.
The opposition's "change bloc" could potentially reach the necessary threshold if it secures the support of the 19 deputies elected by Arab formations. However, this strategy divides the opposition parties. The four Zionist opposition groups—Yashar, Together, Democrats, and Yisrael Beitenu—have already declined to support Netanyahu and are uniting around Eisenkot's name. Nevertheless, Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the right-wing Yisrael Beitenu party, stated on Monday that he also refuses to support Arab formations in a governing coalition or even provide them parliamentary backing. Instead, Lieberman suggested attempting to attract some Likud representatives to form a majority.
While opposition parties met near Tel Aviv on Tuesday to discuss government formation, Arab groups gathered in Nazareth. The change bloc has signaled its intention to immediately elect a new Knesset speaker, with Lieberman indicating support for former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who ran allied with Naftali Bennett in the Together coalition that finished third with 12 seats.
Prior to Netanyahu's announcement, Likud had submitted a written request to the Central Elections Commission to delay result certification, alleging fraud among the Arab minority and foreign interference. The commission rejected this claim, finding no irregularities that would alter the election outcome. Meanwhile, Yair Golan, leader of the center-left Democrats coalition, warned that Netanyahu might escalate security tensions or declare a state of emergency to delay a change in government, disregarding the electorate's will.
The focus now shifts to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who must decide whom to invite to form a government. Herzog is scheduled to begin consultations with smaller parties on Wednesday and meet with remaining forces the following day. Once a candidate is designated, they have 28 days to negotiate a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. If unsuccessful, the decision returns to the President, who may select another candidate for a final 28-day attempt without further extensions.
Sources: Observador.