Netanyahu lost his majority, but can the opposition form a government? A look at possible paths ahead

Dimona Mayor Benny Biton, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggested on Sunday that Israel could form a unity government with Gadi Eisenkot as its head. Biton spoke with both President Isaac Herzog and US President Donald Trump, who he believes will serve as guarantors to assure the opposition that the coalition would be stable.

Biton expressed trust in the Israeli president, but also in the American president, the world's most powerful leader. He warned that opposition efforts to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana prior to coalition formation would be considered a "declaration of war." Biton emphasized that agreeing on a Knesset speaker through mutual accord is acceptable, but unilateral parliamentary moves are off-limits.

The Likud party reportedly told opposition that replacing Ohana would scupper any chance of a unity government, warning that without national unity, the next election would be inevitable and neither side would succeed in forming a government.