The ministers remain for now: what happens in the government until a new government is formed

The ministers in the outgoing government continue in their roles until the Knesset expresses confidence in the new government. A minister who was not elected to the Knesset will continue to serve, because the law does not require a minister to be a Knesset member. The new Knesset speaker will be elected from among the members of the 26th Knesset, and until then the outgoing speaker will continue.

The results of the elections for the 26th Knesset, held today (Tuesday), will not lead to an immediate replacement of the ministers. According to Basic Law: The Government, after the election of a new Knesset, the outgoing government continues to fulfill its duties until the new government is established. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government ministers will continue to serve during the coalition negotiations, which may last weeks. A minister in the outgoing government who was not elected to the new Knesset will continue to serve until then, because the law only requires the prime minister to be a Knesset member. The process of forming a government can take up to 42 days for the first candidate. The Knesset speaker is replaced in a separate process: the new Knesset elects a speaker and deputies, and until the election, the outgoing speaker presides over the sessions.