Knesset staff make final preparations for the swearing-in ceremony of Israel’s 26th Knesset, November 9, 2026. (Photo: Dani Shem-Tov/Knesset Spokesperson’s Office)
Israel’s 26th Knesset will officially open Tuesday with all 120 lawmakers taking the oath of office, marking a new political chapter as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yashar! leader Gadi Eisenkot battle over the formation of the next government.
The ceremony, attended by President Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, will feature a moving tribute to Israel’s fallen soldiers. Avi Harush, father of Sgt. Reef Harush, killed fighting in Gaza in April 2024, will recite Psalm 122. David Ben-Gurion’s historic reading of Israel’s Declaration of Independence will be played, and a children’s choir will perform Hatikvah.
Behind the celebrations, coalition negotiations are intensifying. Eisenkot, who received the mandate to form a government, has reached an agreement with Avigdor Liberman to give his party the Knesset speakership. Liberman is also seeking to bring ultra-Orthodox parties into a potential coalition.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, is pushing for a national unity government under his leadership, insisting that Likud, as the largest party, should retain the premiership. The new parliament will convene with Israel’s next government still undecided.
The Iran war, divisions within the MAGA movement and family responsibilities are cited as reasons…
Somaliland faces a growing air threat as Somalia expands its military capabilities. Could an Israel-UAE…
Eisenkot and Liberman disagree over securing Shas support, while Bennett avoids taking a position on…
Intelligence reportedly prompted heightened security and contributed to Trump’s withdrawal from negotiations with Tehran
Trump declared that Iran’s regime remaining in power at the end of his presidency would…
Israeli veterans wounded in the last three years of war walked the runway at Tel…