{
  "id": 18069570,
  "title": "Israel’s Herzog faces crucial decision on next government",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/israels-herzog-faces-crucial-decision-on-next-government",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-04T04:25:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/11/04/israel-s-unassuming-president-herzog-holds-keys-to-next-government"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Jerusalem: Israel's President Isaac Herzog, widely known for his unassuming and mild demeanor, is set to make a crucial decision on the selection of the individual who will form the next coalition government. Neither the ruling camp led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his rival Gadi Eisenkot's camp has secured a majority in parliament. As such, Herzog starts consultations on Wednesday with party representatives to identify a candidate with the best chance of forming a government, not necessarily the one with the most seats. According to the law, the president, whose role is primarily ceremonial, has extensive discretion and no specific guidelines on how to make the choice. Herzog has expressed his intention to avoid a new election and has vowed not to let outside influence, such as that of US President Donald Trump, sway his decision. He stated, \"It's Israel's democracy and Israel's constitution, and that's what counts for me.\" Herzog, who is 66 years old, was sworn in as Israel's president in 2021 after being elected by lawmakers in a landslide.",
  "summary": "Israeli president Isaac Herzog begins talks with parties on Wednesday to choose a candidate best placed to form a government, regardless of which party holds the most seats.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "Israel president to open talks on government formation",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/israel-president-to-open-talks-on-government-formation",
        "published": "2026-11-04T01:47:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al-Monitor",
        "title": "Israel president opens talks as rivals struggle to form government",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/israel-president-opens-talks-as-rivals-struggle-to-form-government",
        "published": "2026-11-04T02:30:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Israel president opens talks as rivals struggle to form government",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/israel-president-opens-talks-as-rivals-struggle-to-form-government-18078999",
        "published": "2026-11-04T06:24:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}