Israel News for 11-9-2026

News Update

President Isaac Herzog has given Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form the next government, after 67 MKs recommended him vs. only 46 for Netanyahu. Eisenkot managed to get to his number because all of the Arab MKs endorsed him. Netanyahu called for a unity government, but Eisenkot responded that any cooperation would require the prime minister to sever ties with extremist elements of his political bloc, which would include Ben Gvir and probably also Smotrich.

Eisenkot met individually with the leaders of the parties in his potential coalition, including Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman and Yair Golan. Eisenkot has shown willingness to form a minority government reliant on the Arab vote to pass laws in the Knesset. Liberman has said that he rejects the minority government idea and instead, is willing to sit with the Ultra-Orthodox parties despite his past refusal to ever do so. Bennett has yet to release any statements regarding his position after meeting with Eisenkot.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said that investigators had uncovered no evidence of foreign interference capable of changing the results of last month’s parliamentary election: “I am not aware of any evidentiary basis that comes even close to affecting the election results or substantiating a claim of influence that could have changed the outcome. If additional new information that has not yet been presented to us emerges, it will be examined and handled in accordance with the law.”