Israeli President Hands Opposition Candidate First Chance at Forming Government

A formal announcement will be made at Israeli President Isaac Herzog's residence on Sunday.

Israeli President Hands Opposition Candidate First Chance at Forming Government

TL;DR

  • President Isaac Herzog will give opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the first mandate to form a coalition government.
  • Neither Netanyahu's Likud-led bloc nor Eisenkot's Yashar-led bloc secured a majority in the recent election.
  • Netanyahu's coalition won 53 seats, while Eisenkot's won 48 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
  • The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism Party is willing to negotiate with Eisenkot, despite its historical alignment with the Likud Party.