Israeli president to name government formateur as Eisenkot gains majority support

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will nominate a candidate on Sunday to form a government after rival Gadi Eisenkot secured support from a majority of lawmakers, though coalition prospects remain unclear. The October 27 election produced no clear winner. Eisenkot, a former military chief, received endorsements from 67 of 120 parliament members, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gained 46. Herzog noted mutual vetoes between and within blocs complicate the decision, with the nominee facing 28 days to build a coalition. Netanyahu’s Likud won 27 seats, but his religious-nationalist bloc totaled 53, versus 48 for Eisenkot’s coalition. Arab-led parties, backing Eisenkot, won 19 seats. Netanyahu has disputed results amid an election integrity probe, which officials say found no compromise.