Opinion

The Jewish led “change” bloc, together with the Arab parties Ra’am and the Joint List, holds a 67 seat majority. The math is clear. What is missing currently is the political courage to act on it.

Israel does not need you to make everyone agree. It needs you to help ensure that Israelis can continue to live, compete, and govern together even when they do not.

Herzog has a chance to shape his presidential legacy by pushing Netanyahu and Eisenkot to put national interests ahead of political rivalries.

The opposition should stop overthinking, get out of its own way, thank the Arabs for their support, and get on with saving the country. 

Politicians must stop telling voters: “We will not sit with these people, we will not join a government with those people, and we will never vote alongside the others.”

The opposition had every reason to win by a landslide, but Eisenkot offered no vision beyond replacing a failed government.

What matters is who can assemble 61 seats and turn them into a functioning coalition. Neither side can do that right now, but Netanyahu appears to be in the stronger position.

Israel’s fragmented political landscape raises questions about coalition stability, voter trust, and whether politicians can put national interests ahead of personal rivalries.

Many Likud voters chose Netanyahu personally, so any serious unity proposal has to start with him rather than wish him away.

Despite October 7 and years of upheaval, Israelis are once again left with familiar faces, familiar arguments and a familiar stalemate.