Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Likud, is the prime minister of Israel. President Isaac Herzog called him "the Prime Minister and Likud Leader, Benjamin Netanyahu" in remarks his office published in its statement of November 8, 2026, the day Herzog tasked a different party leader, Gadi Eisenkot of Yashar, with forming a new government.
The president's office has not announced that a new government has been formed, and this page will be updated at this address when an official record states one.
Who has been asked to form the next government
President Herzog tasked Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the Yashar party, with forming a government at a ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on November 8, 2026, the president's office said. The statement describes Eisenkot as a lieutenant general in the reserves and the 21st Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.
The decision followed consultations with the factions elected to the 26th Knesset. The statement of November 7, 2026 gives the count.
| Recommendation | Members of Knesset |
|---|---|
| Gadi Eisenkot | 67 |
| Benjamin Netanyahu | 46 |
| No recommendation | 7 |
The three groups add up to 120 members. In his remarks on November 8, Herzog said: "I am well aware that Likud is the largest faction in the incoming Knesset." He said he based the decision on the recommendations and on precedents in which earlier presidents tasked the leader of a party that was not the largest.
How long forming a government can take
A member of the Knesset who is tasked with forming a government has 28 days to do so under Basic Law: The Government, the president's office said on November 7. If more time is needed, the president is authorized by law to grant an extension of up to 14 additional days.
What has happened since
President Herzog addressed the opening session of the 26th Knesset on November 10, 2026. In that speech he told the members: "You must do everything to avoid a repeat election."
What is not yet in the official record
The statements from the president's office do not say whether Eisenkot has formed a government, and they give no date for a Knesset vote on one. Until an official record states that a new government has taken office, the president's office statements of November 7 and 8, 2026 are the latest official record opened for this page that names the prime minister, and they name Benjamin Netanyahu.