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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces. /Reuters-Yonhap

Uncertainty continues to surround the formation of Israel's next coalition government after neither political bloc secured a majority in the country's general election on Oct. 27.

According to Reuters on Thursday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who is responsible for selecting a candidate to form the next government, held a series of consultations with elected political factions over two days beginning Nov. 3.

The consultations showed that 67 of the 120 members of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, backed Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the opposition Yashar party, while 46 recommended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party. 

In a statement following the consultations, Herzog said, "The results of the consultations may appear clear, but the authority vested in me by law is to determine who has the ability to form a government, and that is not entirely clear, given the mutual vetoes between the blocs and within the blocs themselves."

Herzog plans to hold additional talks with leaders of major political parties over the weekend before formally selecting a candidate to form the next government on Nov. 8.

The designated candidate will have up to 42 days to form a coalition, comprising an initial 28-day period and a possible extension of up to 14 days. If efforts to form a government fail, another election will be required. Netanyahu will remain in office as caretaker prime minister until a new coalition government takes office.

In the election, Netanyahu's Likud party secured 27 seats, the largest number won by any single party.

Eisenkot's Yashar party won 21 seats, while two Arab-led parties secured a combined 19 seats. Although the Arab-led parties endorsed Eisenkot, his camp had previously ruled out forming a coalition with them, leaving uncertainty over whether their support could translate into a governing coalition.

United Torah Judaism (UTJ), an ultra-Orthodox party that had been part of Netanyahu's previous governing coalition, declined to recommend either candidate during the consultations.

                                                                                                           Lee Jeong-eun