The C14 television channel reported on the preparation of a political agreement in Israel between President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which would provide for a rotation in the government leadership in exchange for a pardon and the prime minister's final withdrawal from politics. The President's Office officially denied this information, calling the publication a "total fake." This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing C14 and comments from a well-informed source in political circles.

Essence of the alleged initiative

According to the C14 channel, President Isaac Herzog has been promoting this initiative for about two years. It is considered as one of the possible options for forming a new government while maintaining the current distribution of parliamentary mandates. It was suggested that Netanyahu would be the first to lead the cabinet as part of the rotation to work with US President Donald Trump for two years. The main condition of such an agreement would be the prime minister's final withdrawal from politics in exchange for a pardon.

Official denial from the Office

The head of state's office denied this information. "Total fake, nothing like that has happened or is happening. We are not involved in speculation regarding the procedure for authorizing the formation of a government," the statement said. Thus, officially, neither side has confirmed the existence of a prepared agreement.

Alternative scenarios and powers limitations

According to C14, besides rotation, other scenarios are being considered: engaging left-wing politicians, creating a minority government with the support of the "Joint List," or scheduling repeat elections. As a source from Israel's political circles noted to RBC-Ukraine, the president cannot organize such a deal with Netanyahu on his own: "He has the right to pardon him, but the rotation of the prime minister in two years must be negotiated with the current opposition within the framework of a national unity government."

Context: preliminary results and counting disputes

According to preliminary results from 85% of the votes counted, Netanyahu's right-wing bloc secured 53 out of 120 seats in the Knesset; the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot's "Yashar" party claimed 48 mandates, and the Arab parties "Ra'am" and the "Joint List" together could get 19 seats. At least 61 mandates are needed to form a parliamentary majority. Netanyahu himself did not officially declare victory but stated that his coalition had received a "decisive majority" among Jewish voters. The Likud party accused Arab political forces of falsifying results and demanded an investigation, claiming the existence of "hundreds of testimonies and evidence of violations" that have not yet been released.

Procedure and timeline

Official election results are expected to reach President Herzog on November 4. Currently, "double envelope" ballots, including votes from military personnel and other categories of voters, are being processed. After this, the president will hold consultations with parliamentary factions and make a decision within the scope of his authority.