JERUSALEM
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday will begin deliberations with leaders of the country's political parties before tasking one of them with forming the cabinet amid expectations of the choice falling on Benjamin Netanyahu.
Rivlin will hold talks on Sunday and Monday with leaders of the parties and lists that won seats in last week's parliamentary polls, Israel's Channel 7 reported on Sunday.
The Israeli president is expected to meet with Netanyahu of the right-wing Likud, Isaac Herzog of the center-left Zionist Union alliance, and Joint Arab List leader Ayman Odeh.
Rivlin will also be meeting with Naftali Bennett of the far-right Jewish Home party, as well as leaders of the ultra-orthodox Shas and Yahadut Hatorah parties.
Last week's Knesset polls saw the Likud clinch 23.4 percent of the vote, followed by the Zionist Union (18.67 percent) and the Joint Arab List (10.54 percent), according to the electoral commission's website.
The Israeli president usually tasks the party that won the plurality of votes to form the government, which is very likely to be Netanyahu.
According to Israeli law, the MK tasked with forming the government is allowed 28 days to complete the task, and the president can extended that period for a maximum of 14 additional days.
After the formation of the cabinet, it is brought before the Knesset within 45 days of the announcement of the election results in the official gazette.
If the proposed cabinet receives the endorsement of at 61 MKs or more, ministers then can begin assuming their respective duties.
