JERUSALEM: Benjamin Netanyahu's position in the post-election battle to stay on as Israel's prime minister weakened on Thursday (November 5) after an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party withheld support for any nominee and an Arab-led party endorsed his main opponent.
Israel's president was due to meet Netanyahu and his chief political rival Gadi Eisenkot to decide which of the two men to pick to form a government, after holding consultations with smaller parties.
Israel's October 27 election ended in deadlock with neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot, a former military chief, securing a clear path to a majority in parliament.
That has set up a tough task for President Isaac Herzog, whose mostly ceremonial role comes with the post-election responsibility of picking a candidate he believes has the best chance to break the deadlock in a deeply divided country.
