Israel's President Begins Mandate Talks

President Isaac Herzog began the formal process of selecting a prime minister on Wednesday, November 4. The president met with representatives from the Knesset factions at his residence to gauge support for a governing coalition. This consultation is a legal requirement before he decides who receives the mandate to form a government.

The first group to enter the residence was the far-right Religious Zionist Party. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads that faction. He had already announced his party’s intention to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the meetings began.

A technical delay interrupted the start of the proceedings. A security screening machine triggered an alert while checking visitors. The residence temporarily halted entry to the compound until staff clarified the situation, according to a statement from the presidential office.

The Central Election Committee approved the election results earlier that morning. The committee found no evidence that the integrity of the vote was compromised. This decision came despite an ongoing investigation by the Shin Bet into suspicions that foreign entities, including Qatar and Turkey, funneled money to influence voting in Arab communities. Herzog received the official results at noon on Wednesday.

The president invited faction representatives in ascending order of their Knesset seats. Meetings were scheduled to continue through Thursday evening. The opposition bloc won 48 seats, while Arab parties secured 19 recommendations. Those numbers would give Yair Lapid’s bloc a total of 67 if they joined forces, potentially prompting Herzog to grant that group the mandate over Netanyahu.

Political deadlock remains a possibility if coalition negotiations fail. Other outcomes include a unity government or a minority administration. The process will determine whether Israel avoids another round of elections.