Israeli President to Name Coalition-Builder on Sunday
Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced he will reveal on Sunday the candidate tasked with forming a new coalition government, following two days of consultations with political parties that concluded Thursday. The choice is expected to be between current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot. Herzog stated the discussions were frank and included tough questions aimed at encouraging parties to consider alternative paths. The Arab United List and the Joint List recommended Eisenkot, while the right-wing Likud party backed Netanyahu, and two other parties also recommended Eisenkot. The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party abstained from making a recommendation. In the recent parliamentary elections, Likud won 27 of 120 seats, while Eisenkot's newly founded party secured 21 seats. Since neither Netanyahu's ruling coalition nor the opposition bloc holds the required 61-seat majority, Israel's political situation is expected to face a deadlock.