Extract from ABC News
Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, gives a thumbs-up on the evening of Israel's national election. (Reuters: Shir Torem)
In short:
Israel's president has chosen Gadi Eisenkot, Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest rival, to try to form a new government.
The decision follows a deadlocked election result and President Isaac Herzog meeting with representatives from each party.
What's next?
Mr Eisenkot will have 28 days to form a coalition after he receives the formal offer from the president later today.
Israel's President Isaac Herzog has announced he will give Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival, Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a new coalition government.
The decision comes days after the president met with representatives from each of the parties that had secured seats in the next Israeli parliament, the Knesset, asking them for their recommendations for who should be given the task of trying to form a new coalition.
"During the round of consultations, factions totalling 67 members of Knesset recommended to President Herzog that Yashar Leader Gadi Eisenkot be tasked with forming the government," a statement from Mr Herzog's office read.
"Factions totalling 46 members of Knesset recommended Prime Minister and Likud Leader Benjamin Netanyahu MK, and one faction of seven members of Knesset chose not to recommend anyone."
Despite that clear majority, Mr Herzog had taken the weekend to consider the issue, given he was concerned some parties were still vehemently opposed to working with each other.
At the centre of the debate is the issue of the Arab-Israeli or Palestinian-Israeli parties, who hold a record 19 seats in the next Knesset.
Mr Netanyahu's Likud party, and other right-wing parties, have sought to undermine their success and accuse them of stealing the election amid allegations of foreign interference in the election.
Without the Arab-Israeli parties, the Joint List and the United Arab List, Mr Eisenkot would need to convince the ultra-orthodox parties previously in Mr Netanyahu's coalition to side with him.
One of the leading members of the anti-Netanyahu camp, the leader of Yisrael Beiteinu Avigdor Liberman, has said he would not sit in any government that including the Arab-Israeli parties.
Yashar, and other anti-Netanyahu parties, had campaigned on a platform of forcing ultra-orthodox men to complete compulsory military service.
That is something the ultra-orthodox parties had railed against, demanding sweeping exemptions from service which had been torn up by the nation's supreme court in 2024 be reintroduced.
Mr Herzog will invite Mr Eisenkot to his residence to formally offer him the chance to form a government at 5pm on Sunday local time (2am on Monday AEDT).
In the first instance, Mr Eisenkot will have 28 days to form a coalition. The president can extend that period by another 14 days, if the talks are still ongoing.
At the end of that period, if there's no outcome, Mr Herzog can ask Mr Netanyahu to attempt to form government.
If there's still a deadlock, fresh elections could be called for the new year.
Netanyahu calls for 'unity government'
Moments before the president's announcement, Mr Netayanhu had issued a video statement again condemning the Arab-Israeli parties.
He insisted there needed to be a so-called "unity government", with Mr Eisenkot.
"This is the will of the people, and this is what the moment requires," the prime minister said.
"Already next week, there are those who intend to hastily swear in a government with supporters of terror. To establish a government in the State of Israel with those who seek to destroy the State of Israel."
Benjamin Netanyahu on election night at Likud's election headquarters in Jerusalem. (Reuters: Ammar Awad)
It is only the second video of Mr Netanayhu since the election, and he has not been seen in public.
The campaign is a familiar argument from Mr Netanyahu and his supporters, but one that has already been dismissed by the president.
During meetings last Thursday night, Mr Herzog rejected demands from Likud representatives for a "unity" government, saying their campaign against Mr Eisenkot to that point had effectively knocked out that possibility.
Israeli police and intelligence agency Shin Bet have launched investigations into allegations of foreign funds flowing into Israel prior to the allegation, aimed at encouraging voter turn out in Arab-Israeli communities.
The head of Israel's elections committee had said the concerns were important to investigate, but insisted they were not serious enough to undermine the integrity of the election.
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