Israeli president to pick PM candidate Sunday as Eisenkot leads Netanyahu in recommendations

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will announce Sunday which lawmaker he will ask to form the next government, after opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot received 67 recommendations from Knesset members versus 46 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Eisenkot's support includes backing from Arab-led parties, though coalition-building challenges remain due to divisions within the opposition over including those parties. Herzog noted mutual vetoes between and within blocs complicate the decision, and he will hold personal talks with party leaders before choosing. Netanyahu suffered a setback as United Torah Judaism declined to back him, citing unresolved military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox students. The appointed candidate will have 28 days to form a government, with Netanyahu remaining caretaker prime minister until a new administration is established.