Israel's President Herzog Opens Talks as Arab Parties Weigh Backing Eisenkot Over Netanyahu

Israel's President Isaac Herzog has accepted the results of the country's 2026 election and opened consultations on forming a government. That is the plainest fact in a set of headlines from five outlets, and it sets the stage for what comes next: a post-election deadlock in which the president's office may matter more than usual.

The headlines are all the material available here, and they are short on detail. The New York Times framed the situation as one in which Herzog could play a key role in breaking the deadlock. Al Jazeera reported that he accepted the vote results and began talks on assembling a government. These are the formal first steps of the process: the president hears from the parties, then decides whom to task with trying to build a majority.

The most notable development in the headlines concerns the Arab parties. The Hill reported that they are extending a hand in an attempt to topple Benjamin Netanyahu, though it noted that challenges remain. It did not spell out those challenges in the material at hand, and this account will not guess at them.

The Times of Israel reported something more specific: Ra'am will recommend Eisenkot for prime minister. That recommendation would likely give Eisenkot the first opportunity to try to form a government. The headline refers to him only by surname; he appears to be Gadi Eisenkot, though the source does not give his full name or his party. A recommendation from Ra'am carries weight because of what it signals about whether Arab-party votes could be counted toward a majority behind him.

The Jerusalem Post's live coverage described the moment as a race, with Eisenkot and Netanyahu each trying to build a government. That captures the basic shape of the contest: neither side is described as having a settled majority, which is why the president's consultations carry such significance.

What is not in the source is considerable. There are no seat counts, no figures for how many mandates Ra'am or the other Arab parties hold, no timeline for the consultations, and no statements from Herzog, Netanyahu or Eisenkot. The headlines say the Arab parties are reaching out and that obstacles remain, but not what those obstacles are or who has raised them.

What to watch is whether Herzog gives Eisenkot the first chance to form a government following Ra'am's recommendation, and whether Eisenkot can then assemble a workable majority. The next step is the president's decision after hearing from the parties, and the outcome will show whether the Arab parties' outreach translates into votes behind a new prime minister.