Herzog Weighs Prime Minister Pick After Tight Israeli Election, With 2009 Precedent Looming
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 28
Herzog Weighs Prime Minister Pick After Tight Israeli Election, With 2009 Precedent Looming
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 28
Summary
Early exit polls showed a tight race Wednesday, leaving President Isaac Herzog to decide whom to task with forming Israel’s next government.
Israelis elect parties, not a prime minister, so Herzog must consult party leaders and choose the candidate most likely to assemble a Knesset coalition and win a confidence vote.
Likud appeared to win the most votes, giving Benjamin Netanyahu grounds to argue he should get the first chance even if no bloc has a clear governing majority.
Herzog can bypass the top vote-winner if another leader looks better placed to build a coalition; in 2009, President Shimon Peres chose Netanyahu although Kadima had won more votes.
The decision will test whether the result is read as a mandate for change from the center-right opposition or support for another Netanyahu-led government.