Herzog consults parties as Eisenkot gains Arab-list backing for Israeli premiership

Israeli President Isaac Herzog held a second day of consultations on Thursday with parties elected to the 26th Knesset following the October 27 election. He is weighing which lawmaker to task with forming the next government after neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor Gadi Eisenkot secured enough votes for a majority.

Both major Arab lists said they would back former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. The Joint List, which won 11 seats, said it would inform Herzog that evening of its decision to recommend Eisenkot. Raam, which won eight seats, also endorsed him ahead of its scheduled 12:15 p.m. meeting.

“In whatever government is next formed, our immediate item is sorting out the status of Torah students.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost the support of an allied religious party. United Torah Judaism, which won seven seats, declined to recommend Netanyahu again and said it would not recommend any Knesset member to form a government. The party has previously backed Netanyahu after the last five elections.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit faction recommended that Herzog task Netanyahu with forming a new government. Its delegation included ministers Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Amichai Eliyahu, along with Knesset members Limor Son Har-Melech and Yitzhak Kroizer.

The schedule for Thursday included meetings with The Democrats at 11 a.m., the United Arab List at 12:15 p.m., the Joint List at 4:45 p.m., B’Yachad at 6 p.m., Yashar at 7:15 p.m., and Likud at 8:30 p.m. Herzog had met Religious Zionism, Shas, Yisrael Beiteinu and Zehut on Wednesday evening.

United Torah Judaism also raised the issue of military conscription for religious students, saying Torah learners must not be persecuted or treated as criminals. Netanyahu has preserved the exemption for yeshiva students but has not enshrined it in law, amid resentment from other Israelis as reservists serve multiple tours due to wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Herzog will choose whom to ask to form the government, though traditionally the mandate goes to the person recommended by more parties, which would currently be Eisenkot.