Netanyahu to push for new elections – report

Prime Minister Netanyahu has reportedly abandoned efforts to try to establish a new government and will instead concentrate on pushing for new elections.

By World Israel News Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to abandon efforts to form a new government following last week’s inconclusive election and will instead seek another national vote, according to a report published Sunday by Channel 14.

Political sources familiar with Netanyahu’s plans told Channel 14 that the prime minister has reached the conclusion that forming a coalition with his political rivals is no longer a realistic possibility, including through a unity government with Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot.

The sources said Netanyahu has also effectively ruled out efforts to establish a government with former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett or Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman, leaving another election as his preferred outcome.

According to the report, Netanyahu reached his decision after concluding that Eisenkot would refuse to participate in a unity government under his leadership.

The prime minister’s associates reportedly believe that further approaches to Eisenkot would be futile, particularly because the Yashar chairman has publicly disclosed attempts by intermediaries to establish contact with him.

Instead, Netanyahu intends to concentrate his political efforts on challenging the legitimacy of any government formed with the support of the Arab parties, arguing that such an arrangement would not reflect the will of the Israeli electorate.

The reported strategy follows the October 27 election, in which Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc won 53 seats, falling eight short of the 61 required for an outright Knesset majority.

The Jewish-led bloc seeking to replace Netanyahu secured 48 seats, while the two Arab parties – the Joint List and the United Arab List (Ra’am) won a combined 19 seats, giving Netanyahu’s opponents a potential parliamentary majority of 67 lawmakers.

However, disagreements within Eisenkot’s bloc over cooperation with the Arab parties have complicated efforts to translate that majority into a functioning government.

Liberman has repeatedly rejected the establishment of a minority government dependent on Arab party support, while other opposition leaders have expressed reservations about forming a coalition that includes the Joint List.

Major security developments could also influence the political situation.

According to the sources cited by Sunday’s report, another military confrontation could significantly alter the public agenda and complicate efforts to establish an alternative government. They also pointed to an ongoing Shin Bet investigation, which they said could affect public sentiment depending on its findings.

The sources stressed, however, that Netanyahu cannot control the timing or substance of either development and therefore cannot base his political strategy on them.

The report has not been independently confirmed, and Netanyahu has not publicly announced that he is abandoning coalition negotiations.

In an interview with* Channel 14* before the election, Netanyahu had expressed support for a broad government, provided that prospective partners accepted his political principles.

“I support a broad government,” he said, adding that parties willing to accept his conditions would be welcome to join.

“But we will not enter a government of paralysis,” he emphasized.

The latest report follows separate assessments in Israeli media suggesting that Netanyahu sees another election as potentially advantageous.

According to Walla, Likud officials believe a second election could produce a different outcome, particularly if opposition turnout declines or the political arrangements that benefited Eisenkot’s bloc in the latest vote are not repeated.

For Netanyahu, another round of voting would also allow him to remain prime minister in a caretaker capacity while the political deadlock continues.

Eisenkot, meanwhile, has pledged to prevent another election and use the opposition’s potential parliamentary majority to advance legislation even before a new government is established.

In a statement Saturday evening, the former IDF chief of staff said he would seek to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre, introduce universal military or national service obligations, and repeal legislation associated with the government’s judicial overhaul.

“Don’t let anyone mislead you: In Israel, it is the Knesset that gives the government its vote of confidence, not the other way around,” Eisenkot declared.

He also reiterated his intention to establish a broad government based on four principles, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, commitment to the Declaration of Independence, universal service and the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in Gaza.

“The door to the government we establish will be open to any elected official who accepts these principles,” he said.

Eisenkot warned that Israel could not afford another prolonged political crisis and called on the newly elected lawmakers to respect the voters’ decision.

President Isaac Herzog also appealed Sunday for political compromise ahead of consultations with the newly elected Knesset factions.

Speaking at a memorial ceremony for Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann, Herzog said he would receive the official election results on Wednesday, November 4, before beginning consultations with representatives of the parliamentary factions.

Under Israel’s parliamentary system, Herzog must assign a lawmaker the task of forming a government based on his assessment of which candidate has the best chance of securing parliamentary support.

The first candidate generally receives 28 days to form a coalition, with the possibility of an extension of up to 14 days. Further attempts to establish a government may follow if the initial candidate fails.

Should all efforts fail, Israel would face another election, potentially in early 2027.

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