Herzog Urges 'Open Heart' in Coalition Talks as Arab Parties Prepare to Back Eisenkot

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday urged the country's political parties to enter negotiations on forming a new government with an "open heart," as he prepares to begin consultations with Knesset factions on Wednesday following last week's inconclusive election.

"I hope the representatives will come with an open mind, and today I add: with an open heart," Herzog said. "Come to listen and to be heard, to share ideas, and to find creative solutions to prevent another round of elections."

Speaking at the state memorial ceremony in Rehovot for Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann, Herzog said he would receive the official election results on Wednesday from Central Elections Committee chairman and Supreme Court Deputy President Justice Noam Sohlberg, after which consultations with all elected factions would begin at the President's Residence.

Last week's election left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc with 53 of the Knesset's 120 seats, while parties aligned with his main rival, former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, won 48. Arab-led parties surged to a record 19 seats, leaving them as potential kingmakers, though leaders of both blocs had ruled out partnering with them before the vote.

In a late development Sunday, the Joint List and Ra'am were expected to recommend Eisenkot for prime minister during the consultations, Israeli media reported, citing a senior Joint List official. Combined with the opposition bloc's 48 seats, the Arab parties' 19 recommendations would give Eisenkot 67 backers and likely prompt Herzog to hand him the first mandate to form a government.

Eisenkot on Saturday laid out four principles for prospective coalition partners: recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, committing to the values of its independence, mandatory military service for all Israeli citizens, and recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization. "Every Knesset member who is willing to sign on to these principles is a potential partner on the path to establishing a new and better government for Israel," he said.

"During an election campaign, candidates naturally and predictably climb to lofty positions," Herzog said. "But the elections are over. The election results are a fact. They are a reality. And now is the time to call on all our leaders to stop climbing and face this reality. This week at the President's Residence, we will try to put up ladders to enable the leaders to face reality in a measured and careful manner."

The candidate Herzog tasks with forming a government will have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to assemble a coalition. Failure to form a government could send Israel back to the polls.

(File Photo) Israeli President Isaac Herzog, right, in 2023. Photo: Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.