Jerusalem - Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu was chosen Friday to form Israel's next government, Israeli President Shimon Peres' office said.
The decision comes after Avigdor Lieberman, head of the right-wing Yisrael Beytenu party, said he would recommend Netanyahu for the post, but only if he promises to form a "broad-based" coalition government.
In last week's parliamentary elections, no single party won the minimum 61 seats needed to form a government. That means a government of two or more parties is virtually inevitable.
To become Israel's next prime minister, Netanyahu must form a coalition within six weeks or the process will start all over.
The ruling moderate Kadima Party won the most seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. But Kadima, led by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, received only one more seat than Netanyahu's conservative Likud Party.
The strong showing of other right-wing parties -- including Yisrael Beytenu and the Orthodox Shas movement -- could give Netanyahu a better chance of forming a coalition government.
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Peres began consulting with party leaders Wednesday, and had seven days to decide which party leader would form the next government.
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