JERUSALEM — Israel's new parliament was sworn in, formally beginning its legislative term and triggering coalition negotiations among political factions seeking to form a government.
No single party secured an outright majority of the 120 Knesset seats in recent elections, requiring coalition building under Israel's proportional representation system. The president has begun consulting party leaders to identify which candidate has the best chance of assembling a stable government and will grant that leader a 28-day mandate to negotiate with other parties.
If the designated leader fails to form a government within 28 days, the president can extend the period by 14 days. Should that leader still fail, the president can assign the mandate to another candidate. Multiple failed attempts could trigger new elections, a scenario that has occurred repeatedly in recent years.
The coming weeks will involve negotiations over policy platforms, ministerial positions and power-sharing arrangements among the competing political groups.
