The key facts

  • The first talks between Likud and Yesh Atid lasted about an hour and 15 minutes and ended without progress
  • The main dispute is the premiership: Sa'ar refuses a rotation with Netanyahu, while Likud will not join the government without him
  • Sa'ar received the mandate on November 8 and has 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension

Talks without results

The first round of talks between Gideon Sa'ar's Yesh Atid party, which has been tasked with forming a government, and the Likud party of interim Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended on Sunday without progress. The meeting took place at a hotel in Herzliya and lasted about an hour and 15 minutes, the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reports. Yesh Atid was represented by Knesset members Hilai Tropper and Yoav Segalovitz, and Likud by faction chairman Ofir Katz and lawyer Michael Rabello, a former legal adviser to Netanyahu. Also present at the meeting was Shalom Shlomo, political adviser to former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, from his party Yahad.

Key disagreements

The main dispute concerns the post of prime minister. Sa'ar seeks to form a government under his own leadership without a rotation with Netanyahu, while Likud refuses to join the coalition unless Netanyahu is prime minister — either alone or through rotation. The second disagreement is the composition of the coalition: Likud insists on the participation of all parties of the Netanyahu bloc, including Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party, which is unacceptable to Sa'ar. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, substantial progress is possible only through a direct meeting between Netanyahu and Sa'ar.

Reaction of Sa'ar's partners

The talks are taking place amid opposition from Sa'ar's partners — Yair Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan — who are not prepared to join a government that includes Netanyahu. Golan criticized the talks themselves, saying that replacing Netanyahu and Likud requires building a political partnership among their opponents, and that there is a 'clear democratic verdict' that should be respected. Sa'ar himself stressed that a unity government must rest on shared values — public education, military service, public service and solidarity among citizens — and that political agreements and the distribution of posts alone are not enough.

Election context and deadlines

Elections to the 26th Knesset took place on October 27, 2026, after the previous parliament's term ended. Likud won the most mandates, but on November 8 President Isaac Herzog gave Sa'ar the mandate to form a government: 67 Knesset members recommended his candidacy, 46 recommended Netanyahu, and seven refrained from making recommendations. Sa'ar has 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. He has already held consultations with the ultra-Orthodox parties, including a personal meeting with the leader of Torah and Judaism, Yaakov Asher, while disagreements remain over military conscription and the participation of Arab parties. On Tuesday, the Knesset is due to vote on replacing Likud speaker Amir Ohana with Yesh Atid member Matan Kahana.