Nov. 1 — A proposed power-sharing rotation agreement is reportedly circulating in Jerusalem that would allow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lead the next government for two initial years before stepping down from politics in exchange for a full presidential pardon in his ongoing corruption trial, news agency Middle East Eye reported, citing Israeli broadcaster Channel 14.
According to the Channel 14 report, President Isaac Herzog has actively explored the compromise framework to break a looming legislative paralysis following Tuesday’s inconclusive parliamentary election. Under the outlined arrangement, Netanyahu would hand over the premiership to opposition leader and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot after 24 months, on condition of retiring from public life with legal immunity. Channel 14 claimed that Herzog had floated variants of the proposal over the past two years, with Netanyahu seeking the initial two-year term to maintain alignment with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Office of the President swiftly issued an outright denial, dismissing the broadcaster’s report as baseless fabrication.
“This is completely false. It never happened,” the President’s Office said in a formal statement. “The presidency is not involved in speculations or negotiations regarding the mandate to form a government.”
Preliminary tallies published Wednesday evening confirmed a deeply divided 120-seat Knesset. Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious coalition captured 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s opposition alliance secured 48. Arab-led factions won 19 seats, according to Channel 12, leaving both major Zionist blocs well short of the 61-seat threshold needed to govern independently.
The Central Elections Committee reported that overall voter turnout reached 77.7%—an increase of 7.1 percentage points over the 2022 general election and the highest level recorded since 1999. Tallying remains underway for special absentee ballots cast by military personnel, diplomats, prisoners, and hospitalized citizens, which could marginally alter the distribution of final seats.
Netanyahu, who has led Israel’s hardline right-wing coalition since late 2022, has been on trial for years on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He is also subject to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant concerning alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Source: Middle East Eye, Channel 14, Office of the President of Israel & Central Elections Committee