Israel's president to ask Netanyahu to form new government

FILE PHOTO: Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu gestures as he addresses his supporters at his party headquarters during Israel's general election in Jerusalem, November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Israel's President Isaac Herzog will task veteran leader Benjamin Netanyahu with forming a government on Sunday, the president's office said in a statement.

The announcement came after the president concluded political consultations with the elected factions on Friday, in which 64 members of parliament recommended that Netanyahu assemble the new coalition, the statement said.

FILE PHOTO: Israeli President Isaac Herzog looks on during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, not pictured, in Washington, DC, on October 25, 2022. Stefani Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reporting by Henriette Chacar; Editing by Alex Richardson)