Herzog tasks Eisenkot with forming Israeli government

Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, has formally tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with trying to form a coalition government after last month's deadlocked election. Eisenkot will have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to assemble a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

Herzog's decision followed consultations with the parties. Sky News reported that 67 Knesset members recommended Eisenkot and 46 recommended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In remarks carried by Sky News, Herzog said his choice rested on who had the best chance of forming a government. In the ceremony, carried by Sky News, Eisenkot said Israel was at 'one of the most vulnerable points in the history of Israel's democracy' and called for a national emergency government.

The arithmetic remains difficult. Sky News reported that Eisenkot's opposition bloc holds 48 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority. He and his allies have ruled out a coalition with Arab-led parties. BBC News reported that he could instead form a minority government reliant on those parties, though one of his allies, Mr Lieberman, has rejected that route. Another option is a deal with ultra-Orthodox parties that have traditionally backed Netanyahu, which would require concessions on military conscription.

BBC News reported that Arab-led parties had emerged as possible kingmakers after their election success. ITV reported that Eisenkot has demanded they recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation, a condition they have repeatedly refused. The far right has refused to be part of any government that relies on Arab parties. ITV also reported that Eisenkot has described settler violence as 'Jewish terrorism', while Netanyahu has called it the work of 'a group of disorderly youths'.

If Eisenkot fails, Herzog is expected to ask another candidate, most likely Netanyahu, to try. If that attempt also fails, the country could return to the polls. Sky News political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin said the outcome was genuinely uncertain and that Eisenkot's bloc might accept an unstable minority government to end Netanyahu's time in power. Alex Rossi of Sky News said Netanyahu had lost the political initiative but might still 'pull a rabbit out of the hat'.