[2] An agreement was ultimately reached on 20 April 2020, between Netanyahu and MK Benny Gantz on the formation of a national unity government.

Netanyahu remains prime minister ad interim On 15 and 16 April, leaders of all the parties who won seats in the Knesset met with President Reuven Rivlin to recommend a designated person to form a government.

On election night, Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu called for a "broad liberal government" that includes both Blue and White and Likud, and reiterated that he did not want to form any majority with the Arab parties.

Benny Gantz claimed Prime ministership and Blue and White repeated that they would not form a government with Netanyahu, although they were open to one with Likud.

[11] On the left, Labor-Gesher stated it wanted to bring Arab parties "to the table", some of which are open to recommending Gantz.

[11] On 18 September, Netanyahu met with the emissaries of Yamina, Shas, and UTJ, to build a right-wing bloc to negotiate together.

[11] Speaking for Blue and White, Gantz and Lapid both rejected Netanyahu's offer, saying Blue and White had won, and that Gantz had the right to lead a unity government committed to liberal policies on social issues, and thus refusing to discuss forming such a government with Netanyahu as long as right-wing religious parties were included.

[13][14] Lieberman likewise accused Netanyahu of "deception" by offering a unity government, but conditioning it on the inclusion of religious parties.

Lieberman was equivocal as to whether he would support Gantz, fearing to be sidelined from a unity government, or one that includes Haredim.

10 of them—with three Balad MKs dissenting—expressed their readiness to nominate Gantz if he meets "basic demands" on the peace process, the Arab community's interests, and the Jewish nation-state law.

[21] President Rivlin met with representatives of Blue and White, Likud, the Joint List, Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu on 22 September to ask for recommendations on whom to select for prime minister.

[42] However, after the election and with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gantz reversed his stance and announced he was willing to support an emergency coalition with Netanyahu.

[45] Edelstein proposed that left and right coalitions hold equal numbers of members in the parliamentary committees with Likud chairpersons,[46] but the opposition refused.

[51] Gantz then announced that he would stand as a candidate for speaker, resulting in a split of the Blue and White coalition as well as announcements of a deal in which he would serve as speaker until a unity government is formed under Netanyahu, and then would serve as defense minister in the unity government until replacing Netanyahu as prime minister in September 2021.

[59] Initially an attempt was made to form a minority government with external support from the Joint List, however this initiative promptly collapsed as MKs Yoaz Hendel and Zvi Hauser announced they would vote against such a government, citing an electoral promise not to lean on the Joint List which includes "terror supporters" such as Balad.

[62][63] The fact that right-wingers in Likud Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition agreed to support Gantz's bid to become speaker put the future of the Blue and White alliance in jeopardy.

[63] On 27 March 2020, it was revealed that a major obstacle to a possible long-term alliance between Gantz and Netanyahu emerged with regard to implementing U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan.

The deal would involve both parties sharing power, and Gantz and Netanyahu taking turns being prime minister.