Israeli President Isaac Herzog to choose prime minister candidate on Sunday

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will decide on Sunday which candidate receives the first attempt to form a government, Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel, and FTMQ News reported. The decision follows an inconclusive election that left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival, former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, without a parliamentary majority. Consultations between party leaders and President Herzog finished on Thursday, according to Al Jazeera. [1][3][9]

Gadi Eisenkot received recommendations from 67 members of the 120-member parliament, while Benjamin Netanyahu received 46 recommendations, FTMQ News and The Times of Israel reported. Al Jazeera noted that Eisenkot secured a majority of lawmaker endorsements only because of parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel. Those parties won a record 19 seats in the October election, but Eisenkot has ruled out including them in his government, according to Al Jazeera. [1][3][9]

Isaac Herzog has served as the president of Israel since 2021. He is the first Israeli president born after the nation's Declaration of Independence. As FTMQ News reported earlier, President Herzog officially received the election results from the Central Elections Committee on Wednesday before beginning consultations with political party leaders. [6][10]

Al Jazeera reported that failing to form a government could allow Benjamin Netanyahu to remain in power. President Herzog must now decide who will attempt to break the nation's political deadlock. [1][5]