Israeli opposition pledges swift bid to oust Netanyahu

Summary

Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc pledged Tuesday to form a government quickly and remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the path remains unclear amid divisions over whether to join with Arab lawmakers. France 24 reports that Arab-majority parties won 19 seats, while Eisenkot's bloc has 48 seats and Netanyahu's camp 53, including 27 for Likud; all parties in Eisenkot's camp have endorsed him for prime minister. This follows the final count in last week's election, which left both blocs short of a majority and prompted opposition parties to explore coalition options.

Timeline

1. The Japan Times

   3 Nov 2026, 00:36 UTCSource ↗

   The Japan Times reports that Israel's opposition met to back Eisenkot, while Netanyahu said voters chose him, with Eisenkot's bloc winning 48 seats and Netanyahu's camp 53, 27 of them from Likud.

2. France 24

   3 Nov 2026, 09:03 UTCSource ↗

   France 24 reports that the opposition was due to meet Tuesday for the first time since last week's close election, that all parties in Eisenkot's camp endorsed him for prime minister, and that whether to unite with Arab parties was a key question.

3. France 24

   3 Nov 2026, 14:17 UTCSource ↗

   France 24 reports that Eisenkot's opposition bloc pledged Tuesday to form a government quickly to oust Netanyahu but gave no clear path, with divisions over an alliance with Arab lawmakers, whose parties won 19 seats.