Government Formation: Herzog May Not Rely on Parliamentary Seat Numbers in Mandate

Occupied Jerusalem – Agencies: Attention is turning to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who will determine the individual he will task with forming the next coalition government. This decision carries significant weight, as partial results have shown that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp nor his rival Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc has secured a parliamentary majority. Following the official announcement of the results, Herzog will hold consultations with party representatives and then appoint the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government, not necessarily the candidate from the party that wins the most seats. Under the law, the president, whose role under normal circumstances is largely ceremonial, has broad discretionary powers in this matter, with no specific criteria governing how the decision is made. Ahead of the pivotal election held on Tuesday, Herzog acknowledged that he would face immense pressure, but pledged not to allow external interference, particularly from U.S. President Donald Trump, to influence his decision. In an interview with the U.S. network MSN, he said, “I don’t believe the U.S. president or anyone else can interfere with my authority.” Meanwhile, the Israeli president yesterday called for refraining from questioning the integrity of Israel’s entire Arab community due to an investigation into allegations of corruption involving foreign funding received by Arab parties to influence election results. Herzog stated, “The integrity of our elections is a supreme democratic value, and all evidence and allegations must be thoroughly investigated. Those responsible must be arrested and held accountable to the fullest extent permitted by law.”