Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the B'Yachad party, announced he would recommend Gadi Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog as the opposition bloc's candidate to form the next government

Israel held national elections on 27 October 2026, the first since the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership, his corruption trial and security failures at the centre of the campaign. Counting on 28 October showed Netanyahu's bloc on 53 seats, Gadi Eisenkot's bloc on 48 and Arab parties on 19, leaving neither side with the 61 needed for a majority. Official final results are expected on 4 November and may still change.

Coalition talks follow an election in which neither Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc nor Gadi Eisenkot's bloc reached the 61 seats needed for a majority. Paths under discussion include Arab-party support, a unity government and fresh elections, while Bennett and Liberman have pledged not to rely on Arab parties.