Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a complex challenge in forming a new government following Israel’s recent election, which yielded inconclusive results and diminished support for his Likud party. Despite losing nearly a sixth of its parliamentary seats, Likud remains the largest party with 27 mandates. However, Netanyahu will need to secure the backing of at least 61 members of the 120-seat Knesset to maintain his position.
To build a viable coalition, Netanyahu might have to expand his alliance beyond the far-right nationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties currently aligned with him. This could include persuading defectors from the opposition bloc, which is committed to unseating him, or considering a national unity government with the opposition’s largest party led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who heads the center-right Yashar party.
Netanyahu’s path to coalition-building is complicated by long-standing political rivalries and a history of contentious relationships with potential partners. Although his bloc holds a marginal lead with five more seats than the main opposition alliance, the political dynamics could shift if Eisenkot forms a coalition including two predominantly Arab parties opposed to Netanyahu, potentially securing a Knesset majority of 67 seats.
Eisenkot, who previously collaborated with Netanyahu in the emergency war cabinet formed after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, has since declared that Netanyahu is unfit to govern. He founded Yashar with the explicit aim of replacing the prime minister, criticizing Netanyahu’s handling of the war and his refusal to take blame for security failures. This political rivalry underscores the difficulties Netanyahu faces in forging partnerships outside his established bloc.
Netanyahu’s earlier political strategies involved courting centrist factions to diffuse criticism over unpopular decisions, but these alliances have often deteriorated. Notably, in 2014, he dismissed key ministers and dissolved parliament to trigger early elections. In 2020, his power-sharing government with Benny Gantz, another former military leader, collapsed within months amid breaches of trust. Gantz’s party has since waned in influence, and he withdrew from the recent election race.
Observers suggest Netanyahu’s rightward shift and legal troubles, stemming from corruption charges he denies, have narrowed his coalition options. While some analysts note Netanyahu’s past ideological flexibility, others question whether he can reconcile former positions with the current political landscape.
The prospect of a unity government hinges on whether Netanyahu is willing to moderate divisive policies, including judicial reforms that have sparked public controversy. Political experts caution that joining Netanyahu’s coalition could be seen as political risk for centrist and opposition members, complicating efforts to achieve stability.
As Israel’s president considers his next steps, Netanyahu’s ability to navigate these divisions and rebuild trust will be crucial in determining the country’s political trajectory.