🔴 Israeli president picks Netanyahu's rival Eisenkot to try to form government

Israeli president picks Netanyahu's rival Eisenkot to try to form government Israeli President Isaac Herzog picked former military chief Gadi Eisenkot to try to form a government, he said in a statement Saturday. Last month's parliamentary elections left neither Eisenkot nor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a clear path to building a majority. Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Saturday chose Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest rival, to try to form a new government following a deadlocked election that left neither man with a clear path to power. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, is fighting to hold onto office after his religious-nationalist coalition lost its majority in an October 27 election but still emerged as the largest bloc in parliament. An anti-Netanyahu bloc led by Eisenkot, an ex-military chief, has refused to join forces with Arab parties who could hand it a majority. But Arab leaders, angered by policies of Netanyahu and his far-right allies, still nominated Eisenkot during marathon talks with President Isaac Herzog. (FRANCE 24 with Reuters) Keywords for this article