The Israel coalition negotiations 2026 enter a second week on Tuesday with no government formed after the October 27 election produced a fractured result, according to analysis published on November 3. Coalition talks between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc and potential partners continue, but no agreement has been announced.
The fractured result was anticipated in pre-election analysis that described a divided Knesset in which no bloc held a clear majority. Arab parties — Hadash-Ta’al, Ra’am and Balad — remain mathematical kingmakers, as they were on election night, according to the same analysis, though whether they join, support or block a coalition remains uncertain.
What is blocking a deal
Coalition formation in Israel requires assembling at least 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, often through protracted bargaining over ministries, policy commitments and the balance between secular, religious and nationalist partners. When the election produces no clear winner, each small party gains leverage, and talks can stretch for weeks as leaders test alternative combinations.
The stakes extend beyond domestic politics. The United States circulated a draft Security Council resolution on November 3 authorising a Gaza stabilization force that would require Israeli cooperation, according to reports on the draft. The government that will decide that cooperation has not yet been formed, which means international partners are negotiating a framework while waiting for an Israeli interlocutor.
What happens next
Under Israel’s system, the president typically consults party leaders and tasks a candidate with forming a government, who then has a limited period to succeed or return the mandate. If the first candidate fails, another may be tried, and if no government emerges, a further election becomes possible, though parties generally prefer to avoid that outcome.
For now, officials and analysts describe the talks as ongoing with no breakthrough announced. Voters, regional partners and the Security Council will watch whether Likud can assemble a majority, whether an alternative bloc emerges, or whether the deadlock persists into a longer negotiation.
