Israeli President to Begin Coalition Talks with Smaller Parties First
Translated & summarized from Hamal by baba
President Isaac Herzog will begin coalition consultations with smaller parties first, a departure from previous practice, to explore all options for government formation. He will meet with all factions before designating a Knesset member to form the government, who will have 28 days, potentially extendable by 14 days. Consultations begin on November 4th with smaller parties and continue on November 5th with larger parties.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- President Herzog will consult smaller parties first to broaden coalition formation options.
- The President aims to encourage "outside the box" thinking in government formation.
- The designated Knesset member will have 28 days, extendable by 14, to form a government.
- Consultations begin November 4th with parties like Religious Zionism, Shas, and Yisrael Beiteinu.
- Larger parties including Likud will be consulted on November 5th.
President Isaac Herzog has decided to deviate from past practice by initiating coalition consultations with smaller political factions before meeting with larger parties. This approach aims to allow for a broader examination of all available options and encourage "outside the box" thinking before engaging with the major parties. Herzog seeks to hear the positions of all factions to explore potential new directions or alternatives that could facilitate consensus and government formation.
The President believes it is crucial at this time to exhaust all possibilities, broaden the discourse, and examine every avenue that might advance the coalition-building process. He has not ruled out conducting a second round of consultations if necessary.
Following the established protocol, the President will meet with faction representatives, hear their recommendations, and after concluding the consultation rounds and any additional necessary meetings, he will designate a Knesset member to form the next government. The order of meetings will be determined by the ascending number of mandates each party holds.
Once the President assigns the task of forming a government, the designated Knesset member will have 28 days to establish a new government, as stipulated by Basic Law: The Government. The President has the authority to grant an extension of up to an additional 14 days if required.
The schedule for consultations at the President's Residence on Wednesday, November 4th, includes: Religious Zionism-Identity at 5:00 PM, Shas at 6:15 PM, and Yisrael Beiteinu at 7:30 PM. On Thursday, November 5th, the schedule is: United Torah Judaism at 8:30 AM, Otzma Yehudit at 9:45 AM, Democrats at 11:00 AM, Ra'am at 12:15 PM, the Joint List at 4:45 PM, Yahad at 6:00 PM, Yashar at 7:15 PM, and Likud at 8:30 PM.
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