World

Israel's new parliament sworn in as Eisenkot tries to forge a government

Jerusalem • November 11, 2026 • By Press Pass USA

Lawmakers stand in the Knesset plenum during the opening of a parliamentary session

File photo: the Knesset plenum during the opening of a previous session. Photo: Israel Democracy Institute

Israel's newly elected parliament was sworn in on Tuesday without a government, after a deadlocked general election stripped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his parliamentary majority but left his main rivals with no clear path to power.

Lawmakers elected in the October 27 vote took their oaths of office as Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief, sought to forge a coalition after President Isaac Herzog tasked him on Sunday with forming a government. Eisenkot's centre-right Yashar party and its partner factions hold just 48 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Netanyahu's bloc, an alliance of his right-wing Likud party with far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties, holds 53. The Arab-led parties hold the remaining 19 seats, and 61 are needed for a majority.

Presiding over the swearing-in ceremony, Herzog told lawmakers: "You must do everything to avoid a repeat election." Eisenkot initially has until December 6 to form a government, and he can seek a two-week extension to December 20. He has acknowledged his path to power is "extraordinarily complex."

Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister until a new candidate manages to form a coalition. Speaking after parliament was sworn in, he called for a unity government, warning that Iran was seeking to revive its nuclear program and that Israel could come under growing international pressure to accept a nuclear-armed Iran. He has also cast doubt on the election results by baselessly alleging voter fraud by Arabs, who make up a fifth of the population. Election officials have said they are probing potential misconduct, but that they have seen no evidence of fraud that could have influenced the vote's outcome. Eisenkot rejected the unity offer the same afternoon, saying an emergency government must be established urgently.

Eisenkot's bloc wasted no time using its parliamentary footing. Moments after the official opening of parliament, his allies submitted a series of bills, including legislation to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and to impose term limits on the prime minister. They also proposed repealing a controversial judicial overhaul and other laws enacted under Netanyahu's government over the past four years. Because the new parliament can already pass legislation, the first major law could be the inquiry commission, which Herzog said parliament was "duty bound" to pursue.

The bloc has also moved to take control of the chamber itself. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a Likud member, has scheduled a vote on his replacement for November 17, after 67 lawmakers signed a request to remove him. Matan Kahana, a lawmaker from Eisenkot's party, is expected to be elected speaker, with representatives of the Arab lists confirming they would vote for him. The bloc also chose Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, to head the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Among those sworn in on Tuesday was Elisha Madan, a military reservist who lost both legs fighting in Gaza. He received a standing ovation from lawmakers as he rose on his prosthetic legs to take the oath of office.

Eisenkot's options for a majority include trying to form a minority government with Arab party support, bringing ultra-Orthodox parties into his camp despite years of mutual hostility, or forging a unity government with Netanyahu. All three paths face formidable obstacles: ultra-Orthodox parties have so far said they would not join an Eisenkot-led government, and the prospect of relying on Arab parties divides his own coalition. If Eisenkot fails, Herzog would likely ask Netanyahu to try to build a coalition. If he also fails, another candidate would get a chance before Israel would be forced into another election.

Sources: Reuters, "Israel's parliament sworn in as Eisenkot tries to forge a government" (Nov. 10, 2026, full text verified); Le Monde, "Eisenkot pledges swift legislative reforms before government formation in Israel" (Nov. 11, 2026, full text verified); BBC, "Israel's new parliament sworn in as Eisenkot gets first chance to form government" (Nov. 10, 2026, corroborated). Event date verified: November 10, 2026 (swearing-in of the 26th Knesset).