Israeli president to ask Netanyahu to form new govt

Jerusalem: Benjamin Netanyahu is set to become Israel's prime minister for a record sixth time after President Isaac Herzog on Friday announced that he will invite the veteran Likud Party leader form the next government, a move likely to end the political impasse in the country.

President Herzog said that he will assign the task to form a new government to Netanyahu, 73, following consultations with leaders of all the political parties that have been elected to Parliament. Israelis voted on November 1 for an unprecedented fifth time in four years to break the political impasse that has paralysed the Jewish nation. Herzog will officially issue the mandate to Netanyahu on Sunday.

The leaders of the right-wing religious bloc, which includes the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties along with the far-right Religious Zionism party, have already said that they would be recommending Netanyahu's name for premiership. Herzog held discussions with the political parties since Wednesday after he received the final poll results from the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee.

Netanyahu will have to form the government in 28 days from the day he is handed over the mandate by the President.