Israel’s president taps opposition candidate Eisenkot to form a government, in setback for Netanyahu

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Saturday night that he was giving opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a governing coalition following elections on Oct. 27.  

Eisenkot, a former military chief, ran as the main challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading a bloc of parties seeking to oust Israel’s longest-serving premier.

Neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu’s party won a clear majority in the vote. But in marathon discussions with the president this week, representatives from most of Israel’s main parties recommended Eisenkot be tasked with assembling a new government. 

Herzog’s decision is a setback for Netanyahu, who has alleged election interference by Arab countries. 

The acting director-general of the Central Elections Committee, Din Livne, said in a letter to a committee member on Thursday that “there is no basis to the claims regarding a systematic compromise of the integrity of the elections.”

This is a developing news story and will be updated.