Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined President Isaac Herzog, Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and leaders of the country’s political parties for the traditional group photograph marking the opening of Israel’s 26th Knesset on November 10, 2026. The photograph, taken at the Knesset in Jerusalem, brought together political figures from across the parliamentary spectrum as 120 newly elected lawmakers formally took their oaths of office. Former military chief and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot was also among those pictured, standing alongside Netanyahu as the new parliament began its term. The ceremony marked the formal start of a new legislative period following the October 27 election, which reshaped the balance of power in Israeli politics. Although the photograph presented a moment of shared parliamentary tradition, the country remains divided over who will lead its next government. Netanyahu continues as caretaker prime minister while negotiations over a new governing coalition move forward.

The election left Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc with 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, short of the 61 needed for a parliamentary majority, while Eisenkot’s alliance secured 48 seats and Arab-led parties won a combined 19. President Herzog has given Eisenkot the mandate to try to assemble a government, but the opposition leader faces difficult negotiations with potential coalition partners who disagree over several major political and policy issues. Netanyahu has meanwhile renewed his call for a broad national unity government, arguing that Israel faces significant security challenges that require cooperation across political lines. The new opposition majority has already begun pursuing changes in the Knesset, including efforts to replace Speaker Amir Ohana and advance legislation on issues such as the October 7 attacks and limits on prime ministerial terms. Until a new coalition is formed, Netanyahu remains in office in a caretaker capacity, leaving Israel’s political future unresolved even as its newly elected parliament begins work.