Israel Swears In 120-Seat Parliament as Eisenkot Pushes October 7 Inquiry
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Nov 10
Israel Swears In 120-Seat Parliament as Eisenkot Pushes October 7 Inquiry
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Nov 10
Summary
Lawmakers elected on Oct. 27 were sworn into Israel's new parliament with no government in place, leaving Benjamin Netanyahu as caretaker prime minister while Gadi Eisenkot tries to build a coalition.
53 seats held by Netanyahu's bloc and 48 by Eisenkot's camp leave neither side with a majority, even though Arab-led parties control 19 seats and oppose Netanyahu.
Dec. 6 is Eisenkot's first deadline to form a government, with a possible extension to Dec. 20; failure by both him and Netanyahu could trigger another election.
Moments after the opening, Eisenkot's allies submitted bills for a state inquiry into the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, prime ministerial term limits and repeal of Netanyahu-era judicial overhaul laws.
President Isaac Herzog urged lawmakers to avoid a repeat vote and said parliament was duty bound to investigate the Oct. 7 catastrophe while Israel still faces threats from Iran and its proxies.
With security officials warning of blockades, could right-wing disruptions at the Knesset swearing-in successfully derail the opposition's attempt to transfer power?
Can Gadi Eisenkot unite a fractured coalition of Jewish and Arab parties before his mandate expires, or will Israel face another election?
The 67-Vote Threshold: Inside Israel’s High-Stakes Push to Replace Speaker Ohana and Block Netanyahu’s Comeback
Overview
After Israel's October 2026 election, the anti-Netanyahu bloc and Arab-led parties secured a 67-seat Knesset majority, leading President Herzog to task Gadi Eisenkot with forming a new government. To prevent Likud from using procedural delays to block their momentum, opposition parties immediately pushed to replace Speaker Amir Ohana and take control of key parliamentary committees. High Arab-Israeli turnout, driven by fear of far-right ministers, made Arab-led parties pivotal kingmakers, but longstanding taboos kept them out of the cabinet. Instead, a confidence-and-supply deal was considered, with Arab parties demanding concrete commitments on equality and safety in exchange for external support.