Israel's Arab MKs endorse Benny Gantz to become the country's next prime minister

Mr Odeh, whose group is the third largest bloc in the Knesset following last Tuesday’s election, explained: “Our decision to recommend Mr Gantz as the next prime minister without joining his expected national unity coalition government is a clear message that the only future for this country is a shared future, and there is no shared future without the full and equal participation of Arab Palestinian citizens."

Blue & White emerged as the largest bloc with 33 seats, two ahead of Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Mr Gantz is expected to end up with 54 nominations against Mr Netanyahu’s 57 — short of the 61 needed for a Knesset majority.

The balance of power is set to lie with Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beteinu party, which has eight seats but is yet to declare its hand. It was Mr Lieberman’s refusal to join the government coalition following the election in April that prompted a second vote this month.

Mr Rivlin's office confirmed that he would meet Mr Netanyahu, who leads Likud, and Mr Gantz for a closed-doors meeting on Monday evening.

The president is not expected to invite anyone to form a government until the official election results are confirmed to him on Wednesday.

More than three-quarters of Israeli Arabs would support the Joint List joining a governing coalition, but 49 per cent of Israeli Jews oppose the idea, according to a survey by the Israel Democracy Institute.