Following the October 27, 2026, Knesset election, neither Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc (53 seats) nor Gadi Eisenkot’s centrist Yashar-led opposition bloc (48 seats) secured the 61-seat majority needed to form a government, with Arab-led parties holding a record 19 seats. President Isaac Herzog assigned Eisenkot the mandate on November 8 to build a coalition, granting 28 days plus a possible 14-day extension. Eisenkot is pursuing a “national emergency government” or minority arrangement involving his four Jewish parties, potentially with ultra-Orthodox or selective Arab support under specific conditions such as national service requirements. Netanyahu continues as caretaker prime minister while negotiations proceed amid bloc divisions and procedural timelines. Failure could trigger another election in early 2027.