Benjamin Netanyahu opposition invited to form Government with hope to end Israel election deadlock

Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition has been invited by the president of Israel to form a Government. Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF general and leader of the Yashar (Together) party, has been invited by Isaac Herzog to attempt to form a Government, despite the fact Mr Netanyahu's bloc received more overall seats. The move could break a more than one-week-long deadlock, but Mr Eisenkot has yet to form a coalition. He will have 28 days, with a possible two-week extension, to make offerings. A statement from Herzog's office said: "The president informed the leader of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, of his intention to task him with forming a Government." The formal appointment will take place in an official ceremony on Sunday at the president's residence, it added. Mr Eisenkot, reacting to the announcement, said on social media: "Now is the time to form a national emergency government. "I will do everything to ensure we are worthy." The 66-year-old's party received 21 seats in Israel's Knesset, with his broader opposition bloc earning a further 27. Mr Netanyahu's Likud gained 27 seats in Israel's parliament, while his allies earned another 26. That puts the opposition bloc at 48 seats, and the Mr Netanyahu-led alliance at 53. Neither earned enough of the Knesset's 120 seats to form a majority Government, and Mr Eisenkot will have to negotiate with Israel's Arab parties - which earned 19 seats - to form his coalition. LATEST ON ISRAEL: The President's office said: "During the round of consultations, factions totalling 67 members of Knesset recommended to President Herzog that [Mr Eisenkot] be tasked with forming the government. "Factions totalling 46 members of Knesset recommended [Mr Netanyahu] … and one faction of seven members of Knesset chose not to recommend anyone." Parties within Mr Eisenkot's opposition bloc, such as Yisrael Beiteinu, have previously vowed not to work with Israel's Arab parties, describing them as "supporters of terrorism". Mr Netanyahu, 77, is Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister across three separate terms, the first of which dated back to 1996. Shortly before the announcement, he released a video calling for a "national unity government" and warned against "hastily swearing in a Government with terrorist supporters". He added: "This is a matter of our very existence. Israel simply will not survive under such a Government." The Yashar party leader has vowed to crack down on extremist West Bank settler attacks, which have accelerated under Mr Netanyahu's most recent tenure. But he does not stand in stark opposition to the current Israeli leadership, as he opposes a two-state solution and has vowed to end Hamas's rule in Gaza. Follow related topics: