'Israeli' President says he will task new PM to form government on Sunday

'Israeli' President Isaac Herzog delivered an address following the conclusion of formal consultations with political factions, announcing the official recommendation tallies for the premiership while cautioning that deep political divides continue to cloud the path to forming a viable government.

Herzog stated that during intensive, candid discussions with representatives from all Knesset factions, he sought to challenge entrenched political stances to explore potential coalition frameworks.

According to Herzog, representatives of factions totaling 67 members of the Knesset recommended Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, to be tasked with forming the next government.

In contrast, factions representing 46 lawmakers backed Likud leader and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Despite the clear numerical margin in favor of Eisenkot, Herzog stressed that legal mandates require evaluating practical viability rather than relying purely on recommendation totals.

"The results of the consultations are seemingly clear," Herzog remarked. "However, the authority vested in me by law is to determine who possesses the actual capability to form a government. And this remains entirely unclear, in light of mutual vetos between the political blocs, as well as within the blocs themselves."

Herzog announced that he will conduct swift, direct discussions with select party leaders over the coming days to assess whether cross-factional compromises can be reached.

He stated his intention to formally bestow the mandate to assemble the government on Sunday, pledging to "turn over every stone" to encourage cooperation toward establishing a stable administration.