JERUSALEM: Israeli President Isaac Herzog has pledged to nominate a candidate to form the next government on Sunday after opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot secured the support of a majority of elected lawmakers.
Israel’s October 27 election dealt a major setback to Netanyahu, with his rival Gadi Eisenkot gaining stronger parliamentary backing and emerging as the frontrunner to form the next government.
Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist bloc suffered a major setback, securing just 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset.
Speaking after the consultations, Herzog said he would make his decision on Sunday after holding further discussions with some party leaders over the weekend.
During consultations with political factions on Wednesday and Thursday, 67 of the Knesset’s 120 elected members endorsed Eisenkot, a former military chief, while 46 backed incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
However, Herzog said that despite the apparent advantage enjoyed by Eisenkot, rivalries and mutual vetoes within and between political blocs had made it difficult to determine who had the best chance of forming a stable government.
Eisenkot’s anti-Netanyahu alliance, comprising four Jewish-led parties ranging from the centre-left to the right, won 48 seats. Meanwhile, two parties representing Israel’s Arab minority secured a combined 19 seats.
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In a further setback for Netanyahu, the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, a longstanding coalition ally, declined on Thursday to recommend any candidate to form the next government.
Although both Eisenkot and Netanyahu have ruled out forming a government with the two Arab-led parties, both factions endorsed Eisenkot during consultations with the president, strengthening his parliamentary backing.
Under Israeli law, the candidate nominated by Herzog will have 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension. Netanyahu will continue as prime minister in a caretaker capacity until a new coalition is formed. If no candidate succeeds, Israel could face another election.
