Jerusalem (AFP) - The new Israeli parliament begins its work on Tuesday, two weeks after legislative elections that did not result in a clear majority. Will the parties opposed to caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu begin their war against him even before a new government is formed?

Published on: 10/11/2026 - 03:19

On Sunday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog assigned former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot to form a new government, a complex task that may take time.

Until a new government is formed, Netanyahu, who is considered the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history, will continue to carry out the government's work. But the new parliament, consisting of 120 members, includes a large segment of members who may unite to confront him and obstruct his policies.

Assaf Shapira, a political expert at the Israeli Democracy Institute, says, “Failure to form a new government does not detract from the powers of the Knesset.”

The number of seats in Netanyahu's bloc in the new parliament decreased to 53 seats, after he had a comfortable majority of 68 seats in the previous parliament.

The opposition bloc won 46 seats.

The Arab-majority parties, which won 19 seats, strongly oppose Netanyahu and his far-right government.

The following are the most prominent means that the new Knesset could use against Netanyahu’s policies:

An investigation committee into the October 7th attack

During its election campaign, the opposition bloc focused on the need to establish a committee to investigate the security failures that occurred during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Netanyahu refused to bear any responsibility for these failures, and his government consistently opposed the formation of an independent national investigation committee with broad investigative powers, preferring a review conducted by politically appointed figures.

Shapira says that even before a new government is formed, the new parliament could establish a special committee to investigate the attack, with its findings later referred to an official investigation committee.

Eisenkot announced after the elections held on October 27 that forming an investigation committee would be one of his immediate priorities.

Repeal laws passed during the Netanyahu era

The new parliament could also move quickly to repeal some of the most controversial laws passed under Netanyahu, including his push for sweeping reforms in the judiciary, which the prime minister has come to view as an adversary after corruption charges were brought against him.

The judicial reforms sparked one of the largest waves of popular protest in Israeli history. Liberal circles expressed their concerns about the future of democracy in the country, before the Hamas attack and the wars that followed quickly shifted public attention to other issues.

The new parliament could seek to repeal the laws passed by the previous government coalition, which limited the powers of the Supreme Court and facilitated the dismissal of the government's judicial advisor.

Representatives can also withdraw the exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service.

This exemption angers a wide segment of Israelis, at a time when the military establishment faces increasing pressure and a shortage of manpower.

Shapira explains that repealing the laws passed during Netanyahu’s era is procedurally simple, as it is sufficient to put them to a vote and return to previous policies.

However, this process may take several weeks, while the opposition needs intense coordination among itself and agreement on its legislative priorities.

Election of a new speaker of the Knesset

The first political confrontation will revolve around the election of a new speaker of the Knesset.

This position is currently held by Amir Ohana, who belongs to Netanyahu's Likud Party.

Under the Parliament's bylaws, voting to choose the Speaker of the Knesset can be held starting from the opening session, and must take place before the new government is sworn in.

The first signs of confrontation erupted on Thursday, when three parties from Eisenkot's team sent letters to the outgoing Speaker of the Knesset, asking him to elect a successor during the opening session of Parliament, a date that, according to Shapira, is considered the most common in such cases.

But Ohana responded that the established tradition requires that the Speaker of the Knesset be elected on the day the new government takes the constitutional oath.

Naftali Bennett, one of the most prominent faces of the opposition, pledged to move “urgently” to implement the bloc’s priorities.

"We will work to take control of the Knesset as soon as possible," he said.

© 2026 AFP

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