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Israel President Herzog to consult all Knesset factions on forming new government

Edited By Vinay Prasad Sharma

Published: Nov 02, 2026, 20:14 IST | Updated: Nov 02, 2026, 20:14 IST

Israel President Herzog to consult all Knesset factions on forming new government

Israel President Isaac Herzog. Photograph: (ANI)

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The President aims to hear out the positions of every faction and consider whether additional directions or alternative approaches could help the parties to reach agreements and form a government.

President Isaac Herzog will begin a round of consultations with all factions elected to the 26th Knesset on Wednesday (November 4). The consultations will start at 17:00, in ascending order of seats, to examine several options for forming a government. The first faction he will meet is Religious Zionism-Zehut.

Reversing the past mistake, President Herzog has decided to start this round of consultations with the smaller factions too. His decision is intended to allow for a large-scale examination of all the options on the table prior to the consultations with the larger factions taking place, and to encourage fresh thinking.

The President aims to hear out the positions of every faction and consider whether additional directions or alternative approaches could help the parties to reach agreements and form a government. The approach signals a belief that, at this stage, every available option should be pursued, the dialogue widened, and every possible path toward progress explored. Herzog has also left the door open to holding a further round of consultations should that prove necessary.

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Following standard practice, the President will meet separately with representatives from each faction to hear their recommendations. Once this round of consultations, and any additional ones, if needed, concludes, he will name the Knesset member tasked with forming a government. From that point, under Basic Law: The Government, the designated lawmaker will have 28 days to put together a new government, with the President empowered to grant a further extension of up to 14 days if more time is needed.