Israel’s Netanyahu on the Ropes After President Asks Opposition Leader to Form Next Government

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could lose power after President Isaac Herzog selected opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form the country’s next government.

Herzog announced on Saturday that Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief and leader of the Yashar party, would receive the mandate to assemble a governing coalition.

The decision follows last month’s general election, in which Netanyahu’s Likud emerged as the largest individual party but his right-wing coalition failed to secure a parliamentary majority.

Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while Eisenkot’s opposition alliance secured 48.

Two Arab-led parties won another 19 seats.

During consultations with Herzog, 67 lawmakers recommended Eisenkot for prime minister, compared with 46 who backed Netanyahu.

Eisenkot, a former IDF commander and m...