Israel's president picks Eisenkot over Netanyahu to try to form new government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Saturday chose opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to try to form a new government, Israeli media reported, after an inconclusive election left neither he nor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a clear path to power.

Eisenkot, a former military chief, is due to formally receive the mandate on Sunday evening.

He will then have 28 days to build a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.

Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc won 53 seats in the 27 October election, short of the 61 needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, though it remains the largest grouping in parliament.