France, Nov. 6 -- Israel's President Isaac Herzog is expected to announce on Sunday whether Benjamin Netanyahu, now the country's caretaker prime minister, or his rival Gadi Eisenkot will be given the first opportunity to form a government, following the inconclusive general election on 27 October.

Eisenkot, a former army chief, has emerged as the frontrunner after securing the backing of 67 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset, compared with 46 for Netanyahu, whose Likud party nevertheless won the most seats.

Crucially, Eisenkot's advantage rests on the support of two Arab-led parties, which secured a record 19 seats following a surge in Palestinian voter turnout.

Their endorsement could prove decisive in ending Netanyahu's grip on power...