not everywhere· Politics· Updated 21:25

Israel's President Consults Parties on New Government Formation

President Isaac Herzog began consultations on Wednesday to assign the mandate for forming Israel's next government, following the submission of final election results by Central Elections Committee Chairman Noam Sohlberg. The process experienced a brief initial delay due to a security alert at the President's Residence, where a foreign journalist was detained during a security check, but access was quickly restored. In an unusual move, President Herzog prioritized smaller parties first to explore a wider range of viewpoints and foster consensus.

7 newsrooms · 3 languages · since 16:46

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What happened

01President Isaac Herzog began consultations on Wednesday to assign the mandate for forming Israel's next government.
02Gadi Eisenkot is projected to receive 48 recommendations from factions including Yisrael Beiteinu and Ra'am.
03Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to receive 46 recommendations, backed by Shas and Religious Zionism.
04United Torah Judaism decided not to recommend any candidate for prime minister due to disputes over the military draft law.
05President Herzog rebuked Minister Orit Strock after she argued that Arab parties are illegitimate for any government coalition.
06A brief delay occurred at the President's Residence when a foreign journalist was detained during a security check.
07The Council of Torah Sages rejected Shas Chairman Arie Deri's request to retire, keeping him in his leadership role.
08The President is expected to award the government-building mandate to a candidate between November 6 and November 10.

Initial projections suggest Gadi Eisenkot is poised to receive 48 recommendations, supported by factions including Yish, Yachad, HaDemocratim, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Ra'am. Benjamin Netanyahu is projected to receive 46 recommendations, backed by Shas, Religious Zionism, and Zehut. The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, including its factions Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael, decided not to recommend any candidate, which impacts Netanyahu's potential support count. The President is expected to assign the mandate between November 6 and November 10 to the candidate with at least 61 recommendations or the one with the best chance of forming a coalition.

During the consultations, Minister Orit Strock of the Religious Zionism party argued against the legitimacy of Arab nationalist parties in shaping Israel's future, drawing a sharp rebuke from President Herzog, who questioned how her stance differed from racism and emphasized that Arab citizens live in Israel. Meanwhile, Shas representatives confirmed that Arie Deri will remain party chairman after the Council of Torah Sages rejected his resignation request. Discussions also touched upon the highly sensitive draft law concerning military conscription for yeshiva students, with Shas emphasizing the value of Torah study and President Herzog suggesting a broad coalition could be formed through compromise on the issue.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 7 newsrooms. Updated 22:17