Herzog urges compromise as Israel faces coalition deadlock

Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged rival political factions to seek compromises and avoid another election as he prepares to consult elected parties on forming a government after the inconclusive 2026 parliamentary vote. Herzog is to receive the official election results from Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg on November 4 and begin consultations with faction representatives that day. The meetings at the President’s Residence are to be broadcast live, according to Herzog’s office. He called on leaders to listen to one another and reassess campaign positions in light of the results. The tally gives Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, Jewish-led opposition parties 48, and Arab parties 19. No bloc holds the 61 seats needed for a majority on its own. The figures leave the formation of a government dependent on negotiations and possible support across party lines; no coalition agreement has been reported. After the consultations, Herzog will designate a lawmaker to attempt to form a government. The first nominee receives 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, under the timetable described in the government-formation...