Israel's president urges compromise after inconclusive election

Israel's president has begun consultations to determine who will form a new government after an inconclusive election, urging compromise between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and rival Gadi Eisenkot in the deeply polarized country. Eisenkot, endorsed by a major Arab party, has vowed to strengthen bipartisan US-Israel ties and work with President Trump, while Netanyahu alleges foreign interference in the vote and has targeted Arab-majority lists. Neither bloc holds a majority in the 120-seat parliament following the October 27 election, the first since Hamas' 2023 attacks. President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, condemned racist rhetoric and called for creativity to ensure "the State of Israel emerges the winner." Arab-Israeli parties, representing about 20% of the population, saw soaring support, and their leaders denounced Netanyahu's accusations as political persecution.