Netanyahu’s Hold Slips as Israel’s New Parliament Turns Against Him
WHO:
CNN - Former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid lead the Together party.
CNN - Israel’s 1984 unity government was led by Labor’s Shimon Peres and Likud’s Yitzhak Shamir, who shared the premiership under a rotation agreement.
CNN - Benny Gantz joined Netanyahu in a unity government in 2020; Gantz and Eisenkot later joined Netanyahu’s war cabinet after the October 7, 2023, attack and resigned eight months later.
NBC News - Gadi Eisenkot said his proposed government would act for all Israeli citizens, “those who voted for us and those who did not.”
NBC News - Opposition leaders nominated Matan Kahana, a senior member of Eisenkot’s Yashar party, to become Knesset speaker.
CNN - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc, Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc, United Torah Judaism (UTJ), the Joint List and Raam, Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu, Yair Golan’s Democrats, and the parties Together and Yashar are involved in negotiations over Israel’s next government.
Al Jazeera - President Isaac Herzog tasked former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government; Netanyahu called for a unity government under his leadership.
Al Jazeera - Netanyahu’s potential coalition partners include ultra-Orthodox parties and far-right allies Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. Former government adviser Daniel Levy, former Netanyahu aide and pollster Mitchell Barak, and analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg commented on negotiations.
The Washington Post - Israeli opposition leaders submitted bills as the newly elected parliament convened.
WHAT:
CNN - Eisenkot called Netanyahu’s unity proposal a “pathetic spin” and said Netanyahu should break with his far-right partners and join a government led by Eisenkot.
CNN - Netanyahu’s 2020 coalition agreement provided for Gantz to become prime minister after 18 months; Netanyahu refused to pass a state budget, forcing new elections before the handover.
Al Jazeera - The article said about 250 Israelis were taken captive in the October 7 attack. It reported that Eisenkot lost a son and two nephews in the ensuing war.
Al Jazeera - Daniel Levy said, “The only real circumstances under which that happen is if he can create a security emergency,” referring to Netanyahu entering a unity government.
NBC News - Eisenkot’s bloc introduced bills to establish a government-led inquiry into the Hamas-led attacks, set term limits for prime ministers, and reverse changes limiting judicial powers.
NBC News - A majority of Knesset members submitted signatures to begin removing speaker Amir Ohana; the replacement vote can occur before a coalition is formed. A vote on Kahana’s appointment could come as early as this week.
NBC News - Netanyahu said Arab-led parties “stole” the election and asked whether opposition leaders would become “dependent on those whose goal is the destruction of the Jewish state.” Eisenkot called Netanyahu’s speech “divisive” and “hate-filled” and said he was “unfit to remain in office for even one more minute.” Eisenkot canceled a planned meeting with Likud.
NBC News - Netanyahu retains authority over national security and the military, can pursue appointments, and could try to block legislation, but faces court-imposed limits as caretaker prime minister.
CNN - Netanyahu’s parliamentary support fell to 46 of 120 seats; Eisenkot has backing from 67 seats. The opposition’s 67 include 19 seats held by the Joint List and Raam. Eisenkot’s proposed four-party Jewish opposition coalition holds 48 seats, with Arab parties providing outside support.
CNN - Netanyahu’s pre-election bloc fell from 53 to 46 seats after UTJ declined to support him. His previous coalition had 68 seats; after the 2022 election, he initially had 64.
CNN - Eisenkot’s proposed “national emergency government” would seek parliamentary backing from Arab parties. A minority government has fewer than 61 seats; Israeli law permits one to take office with a simple majority if opponents abstain. Removing a government requires a constructive majority supporting an alternative.
CNN - Liberman opposes a government dependent on Arab parties and proposes a 61-seat coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties, hoping Likud lawmakers might defect. The dispute includes the ultra-Orthodox military-service exemption: those parties seek to preserve it, while Eisenkot and Liberman support universal service.
CNN - The opposition plans to replace the Knesset speaker and other parliamentary officeholders and advance legislation. The Washington Post reports that opposition leaders submitted bills to scrutinize Netanyahu’s handling of events around the Oct. 7 attack and reverse some of his controversial legislation.
Al Jazeera - Netanyahu warned in a video of a risk of civil war if a government relied on Arab-party support, accusing those parties of wanting to “eliminate the State of Israel.” He later called for a unified government under his leadership.
Al Jazeera - The article says Netanyahu is on trial on multiple corruption charges and has petitioned Herzog for a pardon while claiming innocence. It also reports allegations concerning government failures before the Hamas-led attack and Netanyahu’s handling of the subsequent war.
Al Jazeera - Opposition plans reportedly include installing Matan Kahana of Yashar, an advocate for a state inquiry into government failures before the attack.
CNN - Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister until a new government is sworn in.
WHERE:
CNN - The political negotiations and parliamentary activity concern Israel’s 120-seat Knesset.
Al Jazeera - Mitchell Barak spoke from Jerusalem.
WHEN:
CNN - Eisenkot has 28 days to negotiate and may request a 14-day extension; if he fails, another candidate receives a 28-day mandate. If subsequent efforts fail, the process can lead to another election.
Al Jazeera - The article refers to the Knesset’s swearing-in on Tuesday and to a Supreme Court ruling on the draft exemption in June 2024.
The Washington Post - The newly elected parliament convened for the first time Tuesday.
WHY:
NBC News - Eisenkot said Arab-party cooperation would require the parties to accept Israel’s identity as a Jewish state and declare Hamas a terrorist group.
NBC News - Netanyahu urged Jewish-led parties to form a unity government, citing the threat of an Iranian attack, and said Israel should work to topple the Iranian government.
CNN - Eisenkot’s challenge is coordinating six ideologically diverse parties; the Arab parties’ role is contentious because some Jewish Israelis reject them as coalition partners.
Al Jazeera - Netanyahu’s calls for unity came as the opposition held a numerical advantage; analysts described negotiations as political leverage and strategy.
HOW:
CNN - After a failed mandate, the process can return to the Knesset for 14 days to propose another candidate; if that effort also fails, another election follows.
CNN - Arab parties could support a minority government from outside the cabinet, while UTJ could abstain or support Eisenkot’s bloc in exchange for concessions.
CNN - If Netanyahu receives a mandate, he could seek opposition defections; his bloc would need eight additional lawmakers to reach a majority.
(UPDATED November 11, 2026 19:03 UTC)
Gadi Eisenkot is trying to form Israel’s next government, challenging Benjamin Netanyahu. His opposition has wider parliamentary backing, but Arab-party support remains contentious. Lawmakers are advancing proposals on accountability and judicial powers.
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(UPDATED November 11, 2026 17:06 UTC)
Herzog tasked Gadi Eisenkot with forming Israel’s next government, challenging Netanyahu. Eisenkot’s opposition has parliamentary backing, but Arab-party support remains divisive. His bloc introduced bills on government accountability and judicial powers.
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(UPDATED November 11, 2026 15:07 UTC)
Eisenkot has the stronger path to forming Israel’s next government, with backing from 67 lawmakers. Netanyahu is calling for unity under his leadership. Disputes over Arab-party support and military exemptions complicate negotiations.