Geopolitics
67 Israeli MPs back Eisenkot over Netanyahu to form the next government
President Herzog will announce on Sunday who gets the first chance to form a government after last month's election.
In short
67 vs 46MPs backing Eisenkot vs Netanyahu
- 120 seats in the Knesset
- Eisenkot 67, Netanyahu 46
- Decision due Sunday, 8 Nov
What happened
After meeting all parties, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said 67 of the Knesset's 120 members recommended Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, as prime minister, while 46 recommended Benjamin Netanyahu. United Torah Judaism's 7 members backed no one.
Eisenkot's 67 include Arab-led parties Ra'am and the Joint List. Herzog said he will announce his choice on Sunday, 8 November.
What's next
Recommendations don't automatically make a government. Several Jewish-led parties in Eisenkot's camp refuse to sit with Arab parties, so his path to a working coalition is still unclear. The new Knesset is sworn in on 10 November.
