Israeli president tasks Gadi Eisenkot with forming government

President Isaac Herzog has picked former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot, leader of an anti-Netanyahu alliance, to take the first shot at trying to form a government, with tricky coalition talks expected. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has chosen Gadi Eisenkot to have the first opportunity to form a new Israeli government, according to a statement released by his office on Saturday evening.

The statement said Eisenkot was informed of Herzog's "intention to task him with forming a government" and would be invited to the president's residence, where a formal ceremony will take place on Sunday. Eisenkot's wide-ranging group, fashioned in opposition to Netanyahu, won 48 of the Israeli parliament's 120 seats in October's elections.

Netanyahu's camp secured 53, leaving neither with the required majority of 61 seats. Former Israeli military chief Eisenkot is the leader of the centrist Yashar party and heads an anti-Netanyahu alliance .