By Anees Barghouthy
JERUSALEM
Incumbent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has won the support of 67 recently-elected Knesset lawmakers, giving him the majority needed to form Israel's next government.
Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party emerged as the biggest winner in last week's polls with 30 seats, followed by the center-left Zionist Union with 24 seats.
In addition to lawmakers from his party, Netanyahu was backed by deputies of the centrist Kulanu party, the right-wing Jewish Home and Yisrael Beiteinu parties, and the ultraorthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties.
The support provides him with the 61-seat majority needed to give him a fourth term as prime minister, an Anadolu Agency correspondent reported.
On Sunday, President Reuven Rivlin started discussions with the leaders of Israel's political parties on the formation of the next government amid expectations that Netanyahu would be selected to lead this government.
Rivlin said he would choose Netanyahu to draw up the next government.
Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party, had told the president earlier that he would not back any candidate for prime minister, preferring to remain in the opposition.
Last week's Knesset polls saw the Likud clinch 23.4 percent of the vote, followed by Herzog's center-left Zionist Union (18.67 percent) and Ayman Odeh's joint Arab list (10.54 percent), according to the electoral commission.
Under Israeli law, the Knesset member tasked with forming the government has 28 days to complete the task. The president can extend this period for up to 14 additional days.
The cabinet lineup must be approved by the Knesset within 45 days of the announcement of the election results.
