Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has secured the backing of 67 members of Israel's Knesset to form the country's next government, ahead of 46 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after post-election consultations with President Isaac Herzog concluded on Thursday.

A government needs the support of at least 61 lawmakers in the 120-member Knesset. Eisenkot's 67 recommendations comfortably pass that threshold, but they are recommendations in the presidential consultation process, not proof that all 67 lawmakers will join a governing coalition. President Herzog has said he will choose the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government on Sunday, 8 November, after holding further consultations. The new Knesset is due to be sworn in on Tuesday, 10 November. The candidate who receives the mandate will normally have 28 days to assemble a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.

Eisenkot's backing comprises 48 lawmakers from the Jewish-led opposition bloc — his Yashar party, Together, The Democrats and Yisrael Beiteinu — plus eight from the Ra'am party and 11 from the Joint List, the two Arab-led parties. Netanyahu received 46 recommendations, down from the 53 seats previously expected to back him, after his traditional ally United Torah Judaism, which holds seven seats, refused to recommend either candidate.

Eisenkot said the first round of discussions with the opposition parties had concluded with an absolute majority of recommendations in his favour, but acknowledged that "the road ahead of us is still long". He outlined a plan for a broad national emergency government built on four principles: recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, acceptance of the values of the Declaration of Independence, mandatory service for all, and recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organisation with a commitment to dismantling its military-political power.

Forming a government remains difficult. Three of the Jewish-led parties have so far ruled out joining a government that includes the Arab parties, and only 48 of the 67 lawmakers who recommended Eisenkot are currently prepared to work together without conditions, The Times of Israel reported. Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas stopped short of explicitly recognising Hamas as a terrorist organisation in his meeting with the president.

Sources: ANI, via Daily Prabhat; Demócrata; The Daily Jagran.