President Isaac Herzog’s scheduled consultations with political parties over the formation of Israel’s next government were temporarily delayed on Wednesday after a security screening machine at the President’s Residence triggered an alert.
Entry to the compound in Jerusalem was suspended while authorities investigated the incident, according to a statement from the President’s Residence.
“Police bomb disposal experts are on their way to the scene to inspect the equipment. The matter is being examined in coordination with the relevant authorities,” the statement said.
The consultations were due to begin on Wednesday, with representatives of the political parties expected to tell Herzog which candidate they would recommend to form the next government.
Religious Zionist Party First to Meet Herzog
Under Israeli law, the president must consult representatives of the Knesset factions before deciding which politician should receive the mandate to form a government.
The far-right Religious Zionist Party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, was scheduled to be the first faction to meet Herzog.
The president arranged the consultations according to the number of seats won by each party, beginning with the Religious Zionist Party, followed by Shas, Yisrael Beytenu and Zehut.
Meetings with the remaining political factions were scheduled to continue on Thursday and extend into the evening.
Netanyahu Receives Support From Religious Zionists and Shas
Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party and Shas, led by Arye Deri, both announced on Tuesday that they would recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form the next government.
The two parties have also been important partners in Netanyahu’s previous governing coalition.
Zehut chairman Moshe Feiglin likewise said he would recommend Netanyahu. However, he also called for the newly elected Knesset to be dissolved and fresh elections held, arguing that alleged electoral irregularities had undermined the legitimacy of the democratic process.
Opposition Leaders Back Gadi Eisenkot
Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman announced that his party would recommend Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, for prime minister.
Opposition figures Naftali Bennett of B’Yachad and Yair Golan of the Democrats also said they would support Eisenkot, with the stated aim of avoiding another general election.
The recommendations could influence Herzog’s decision on who receives the mandate to form the next government.
Election Commission Approves Official Results
The Central Elections Committee approved the election results on Wednesday morning before they were formally presented to Herzog at noon.
The committee said it had found no evidence that the integrity of the election had been compromised.
The approval came amid an ongoing investigation by the Shin Bet into suspicions that foreign entities, including Qatar and Turkey, had allegedly channelled money into Israel to influence voting in Arab communities.
Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who chairs the Central Elections Committee, presented the official results of the 26th Knesset election to the president at his residence.
Netanyahu’s Bloc Leads With 53 Knesset Seats
The election results gave Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats in the next Knesset, compared with 48 seats won by the opposition bloc.
The Arab parties, Ra’am and the Joint List, secured a combined 19 seats, marking a record result for the two groups.
Although Netanyahu’s bloc emerged with more seats than the opposition, the recommendations made by the different factions could affect which candidate receives the opportunity to form a government.
If the Arab parties recommend Eisenkot alongside the opposition bloc, their combined support would amount to 67 seats.
Coalition Deadlock Could Trigger Another Election
Israel’s political parties face the possibility of another election if negotiations fail to produce a governing coalition.
Other potential outcomes include an agreement to form a unity government involving Netanyahu and members of Eisenkot’s bloc, or the establishment of a minority government.
The parties may still reach an agreement through coalition negotiations, but the distribution of seats and the competing recommendations leave several possible outcomes.
Herzog addressed the political situation on Sunday, urging party leaders to respect the election results and show flexibility during negotiations.
He warned that political divisions and an unwillingness to compromise could leave the country facing another election.
