Government leadersWar activity
Eisenkot tipped to seek Israel government as religious party drops Netanyahu
Gadi Eisenkot emerged on Thursday as the favourite to be tasked with trying to form an Israeli government as a religious party long aligned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to recommend him. President Isaac Herzog was holding a second day of consultations with political parties after the October 27 election, in which neither Netanyahu -- a polarising right-winger who has led Israel through three years of war -- nor Eisenkot -- a former military chief promising to restore national unity -- secured enough votes for a majority.