Israeli President Herzog Begins Consultations, Majority Recommend Netanyahu as Government Formateur
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President Isaac Herzog met with representatives of three of four major factions, all of which recommended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Yisrael Beytenu backed Gadi Eisenkot.
President Isaac Herzog started a series of consultations at the President’s Residence on Wednesday with party delegations to determine who should receive the mandate to form Israel’s next government. The Religious Zionist Party, Shas and Zehut each recommended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whereas Yisrael Beytenu, led by Avigdor Liberman, put forward Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party.
Eisenkot is expected to receive the mandate after Herzog completes talks with all factions, many of which have signaled support for his candidacy. The remaining meetings are scheduled to finish by Thursday evening, as required by law for the president to consult Knesset factions before assigning the task of government formation.
The first delegation was from the far-right Religious Zionist Party, represented by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Settlement and National Missions Minister Orit Strock, Itamar Eitam and Zvika Mor. They were followed by a Shas delegation that included MKs Michael Malkieli, Yinon Azoulay, Yoav Ben-Tzur, Haim Biton and Dror Amos. Shas, led by Arye Deri, announced its intention to recommend Netanyahu, a key partner in the current coalition.
United Torah Judaism chose not to recommend any candidate, ruling out a repeat endorsement of Netanyahu. Yisrael Beytenu’s representative, MK Oded Forer, said, "We must come together here and do everything possible during this period of negotiations to establish a good government for Israel that will address all the challenges facing us."
Zehut’s Moshe Feiglin and Shai Malka also backed Netanyahu and argued for annulling the election results. Herzog responded, "I know the history. You have never fully trusted the state."
The Central Election Committee confirmed the election outcome on Wednesday, finding no evidence of compromised integrity despite an ongoing Shin Bet investigation into alleged foreign financing. Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 Knesset seats, the opposition 48, and Arab parties Ra’am and the Joint List together won a record 19 seats.
Analysts note that if the Arab parties and opposition leaders such as Naftali Bennett and Yair Golan continue to support Eisenkot, his coalition could reach a majority of 67 seats, potentially giving Herzog reason to grant him the mandate over Netanyahu. Herzog has urged political leaders to accept the results and remain flexible to avoid a repeat election.
The consultations were briefly delayed after a security-screening device triggered an alert, prompting police and bomb-disposal units to investigate. A small group of demonstrators also gathered outside the residence as the talks began.