Reviewed file photo — Preiss / MSC / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 Germany (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/de/). Unaltered archival photo, 19 February 2017, Munich Security Conference; not the November 2026 briefing.
Liberman backs Eisenkot for premier but rejects an Arab-backed minority cabinet
The November 2 endorsement unites the Jewish opposition behind one candidate, while coalition obstacles remain.
Avigdor Liberman said on November 2 that Yisrael Beytenu would recommend Gadi Eisenkot to form Israel’s next government. The Jerusalem Post and The Times of Israel independently reported his briefing. He also backed Yair Lapid for Knesset speaker.
Liberman ruled out serving with Benjamin Netanyahu and rejected a minority government dependent on Arab parties. His endorsement therefore does not establish a governing majority or mean a cabinet has been formed.
As post-election context, the Jewish opposition parties hold 48 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, Netanyahu’s bloc 53 and Arab parties 19. President Isaac Herzog’s consultations with parties are expected to begin Wednesday, November 4. The coalition outcome remains unresolved, with no completed governing agreement announced in these accounts. The accompanying photograph shows Liberman in Munich in 2017.
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