Herzog Calls for ‘Creative Solutions’ Ahead of Wednesday Coalition Talks
By The Media Line Staff
President Isaac Herzog will begin consultations Wednesday on forming Israel’s next government after election results left neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor the Change bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot with the 61 seats needed for a majority.
Herzog addressed the upcoming consultations Sunday during the state memorial ceremony for President Chaim Weizmann at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, calling on political representatives to approach the process with flexibility.
“I have already said that I hope the representatives will come with an open mind, and today I add—with an open heart—to listen to and voice ideas and to find creative solutions in order to prevent another election.”
Results on Thursday gave Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats and the Change bloc 48, leaving both short of a governing majority. The Hareidi parties, which had been part of Netanyahu’s government, had a lackluster performance, while the Arab parties secured 19 seats.
Those results have created uncertainty over possible paths to a government. Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman, whose party is part of the Change bloc, has explicitly refused to form a government with Arab parties.
Herzog called on the leaders of the political blocs to accept the election results as the political reality and adjust their positions accordingly as consultations begin.
The president said he would seek to help the parties navigate the divisions that have left neither major bloc able to form a government on its own.
“This week at the President’s Residence, we will try to put up ladders, to enable the leaders to position themselves in accordance with this reality, in a measured and cautious manner.”
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