Gadi Eisenkot Picked To Form Israel Government In Major Blow To Netanyahu

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party.

Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has been chosen to try to form the country's next government, putting him a step closer to unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a closely contested election. President Isaac Herzog will formally give Eisenkot the mandate on Sunday, his office said, following consultations with political parties elected to the Knesset.

Eisenkot, a retired military chief who leads the centrist Yashar party, will have 28 days to assemble a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. The process could prove difficult, however, as divisions within the opposition and its stance towards Arab-led parties threaten to complicate negotiations.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is seeking to retain office after his religious-nationalist coalition lost its parliamentary majority in the 27 October election. His bloc nevertheless emerged as the largest in parliament, with 53 seats.

Eisenkot's opposition bloc has 48 seats, while two Arab-led lists won a record 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset.

The Joint List alliance, which has 11 lawmakers, announced that it would recommend Eisenkot to Herzog. The Ra'am party, which holds eight seats, also said it would back him.

Their support is expected to take the number of lawmakers…

Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/latest-news