Israel's new parliament to be sworn in as leaders compete to form government

What the report says

Israel’s new parliament, the Knesset, is due to be sworn in on Tuesday as party leaders begin another effort to assemble a governing coalition after a closely split election. According to BBC World News, President Isaac Herzog has given opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to try to form a government, after Eisenkot secured the backing of 67 of the 120 lawmakers compared with 46 for caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The report says the result leaves both main blocs short of the majority needed to govern on their own. Eisenkot’s alliance won 48 seats in the election, while Netanyahu’s bloc took 53. Eisenkot now has 28 days, with a possible two-week extension, to persuade enough parties to join him. Netanyahu will remain caretaker prime minister until a new coalition is formed, a process that could take days or longer.

BBC World News says the election produced an especially strong showing for Israel’s Arab-led parties, which won 19 seats between them, giving them possible leverage in coalition talks. That could help Eisenkot if he seeks outside support or a minority arrangement, although some parties in his camp oppose including Arab factions. Ultra-Orthodox parties also remain pivotal, but their stance on military conscription is a major obstacle.

The outcome has created a period of uncertainty after an election widely viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu. Eisenkot has called for a national emergency government, while Netanyahu has urged the formation of a unity government under his leadership and warned against reliance on Arab parties.