Israel’s president has chosen Gadi Eisenkot, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strongest rival, to try to form a new government, following a deadlocked election that left neither man with a clear path to power.
Isaac Herzog’s office said he had informed Eisenkot, the leader of the Yashar party, on Saturday night “of his intention to task him with forming a government”
It added that the formal appointment would take place in an official ceremony on Sunday at the president’s residence in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, is fighting to hold on to office after his religious-nationalist coalition lost its majority in an election on 27 October but still emerged as the largest bloc in parliament.
An anti-Netanyahu grouping led by Eisenkot, an ex-military chief, has refused to join forces with Arab parties who could hand it a majority.
But Arab leaders, angered by policies of Netanyahu and his far-right allies, still nominated Eisenkot during marathon talks with Herzog.
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