The elections are behind us, the struggle for power is just beginning: what to expect this week?

The political system is gearing up for a decisive week in the battle to form the next government, as the ballot box terror affair expands. The Mossad joins the Shin Bet investigation into suspicions of millions of shekels flowing from foreign sources. Netanyahu and Eisenkot prepare for the fight over the mandate.

Four days after the elections for the 26th Knesset, Israel enters a political week that may determine the identity of the next government. Likud remains the largest party, but the right-wing bloc does not hold a guaranteed majority to form a coalition. Meanwhile, the left-wing bloc is exploring options to replace Benjamin Netanyahu's government by relying on the Arab parties. Alongside the battle for the mandate to form the government, the Shin Bet investigation, which has now expanded to include the Mossad, stands at the center of the agenda, following suspicions of foreign interference in the elections. The ballot box terror affair involves suspicions of vote buying in Arab society, with envelopes of cash and voting slips for the Ra'am party. The Mossad joins the investigation to trace the international funding sources. This coming Wednesday, November 4, is the deadline for publishing the official election results. Netanyahu will try to translate Likud's status as the largest party into an advantage, while Gadi Eisenkot and the leaders of the left-wing parties will need to gather sufficient support to present a governing alternative.