Arab lawmakers in Israel endorse Gantz for prime minister

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"The Arab bloc in Israel's parliament broke with tradition Sunday and endorsed Blue and White party chairman Benny Gantz for prime minister, giving the former military chief an edge for the job over incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu.

The historic endorsement highlighted the first day of President Reuven Rivlin's crucial consultations with various party representatives. He's set to meet with all the parliamentary factions before selecting his candidate for prime minister, after a deadlocked repeat election made forming any new government a daunting task.

Israel's largely ceremonial president is responsible for picking the politician with the best chance of forming a stable coalition government. While usually a formality, this time Rivlin plays a key role after a repeat election held last week. In that vote, neither of the top candidates appeared to secure the support of a majority of 61 members of the 120-seat parliament.

The Arab-led bloc known as the Joint List emerged from the election as the third largest party with 13 seats.

Maverick politician Avigdor Lieberman, head of the mid-sized Yisrael Beitenu party, remains the key power broker. He hasn't endorsed either candidate, so with the nod from the Arab parties, Gantz expects to have 57 backers to Netanyahu's 55."

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/israeli-president-begins-talks-form-government-65777825