Jerusalem: Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday officially invited former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form the new government.
Netanyahu, 73, who has won the backing of 64 Members of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), has been assigned the task to form the next government, a statement from the Presidency said.
President Herzog had on Friday announced that he will ask Netanyahu to form a new government following consultations with leaders of all the political parties that have been elected to the 25th Knesset in November 1 elections.
The Israeli President started discussions with leaders of the political parties immediately after formally receiving the results of the polls from the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee last Wednesday.
Netanyahu will have 28 days to form the government. If an extension is required, the President has the legal authority to grant an extension of up to fourteen additional days.
Besides Netanyahu’s Likud party, he has received the backing of the right-wing bloc including, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Religious Zionism, Jewish Power and Noam.
Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party won 32 seats in the Knesset while outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid got 24 seats.
The biggest surprise of the polls after the final count was over is the far-right Religious Zionism party which won 14 seats becoming the third largest party.
Netanyahu’s other likely coalition partners, Shas and United Torah Judaism won 11 and seven seats, respectively bringing the bloc’s total count to 64.
The outcome of the election, the fifth in less than four years, ends an unprecedented period of political deadlock that began in 2019, when Netanyahu was charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which he denies.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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