President Isaac Herzog continued consultations Thursday with the newly elected parliamentary factions ahead of deciding who will be tasked with forming the country's next government, with Yashar! party leader Gadi Eisenkot expected to secure more endorsements than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Eisenkot, a former IDF chief, is projected to receive the backing of 67 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset, compared with 46 for Netanyahu, whose Likud party is seeking to retain power despite the election results.
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President Isaac Herzog meets with United Torah Judaism representatives for consultations at the President's Residence in Jerusalem
(Photo: GPO)
The consultations, which began Wednesday, are expected to conclude Thursday evening, after which Herzog will determine which candidate has the best chance of assembling a governing coalition.
Under Israel's parliamentary system, the president consults representatives of the parties elected to the Knesset before assigning a lawmaker the task of forming a government. The decision is not automatically determined by which candidate receives the most endorsements. Instead, the president must assess who is most likely to secure the support of a parliamentary majority.
A governing coalition generally requires the backing of at least 61 lawmakers.
Unlike previous rounds of consultations, Herzog began Wednesday with representatives of smaller parties and scheduled the largest factions for the final meetings Thursday.
Most parties had announced their preferred candidate before arriving at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, leaving United Torah Judaism and the Joint List as the principal uncertainties.
Eisenkot leads endorsements, but coalition remains elusive
Wednesday's consultations established the initial balance of support between the two leading candidates.
Netanyahu received endorsements from the Religious Zionist Party, Zehut and Shas, while Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu endorsed Eisenkot.
Among the parties scheduled to meet Herzog Thursday, Ra'am, the Democrats, Beyachad and Yashar! had announced their support for Eisenkot.
Otzma Yehudit endorsed Netanyahu as will Likud.
The Joint List, an alliance representing predominantly Arab voters, announced ledd than an hour ahead of its scheduled meeting with Herzog that it would recommend Eisenkot.
United Torah Judaism, meanwhile, decided not to endorse either candidate, despite efforts by Netanyahu to secure support from lawmakers associated with the party's more right-wing faction. The ultra-Orthodox alliance consists of two factions, Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah, both of which had initially announced they would refrain from recommending a candidate.
However, speculation intensified Wednesday that two former Agudat Yisrael lawmakers, Meir Porush and Eliakim Stark, would break ranks and endorse Netanyahu after being approached by the prime minister.
The two are considered part of United Torah Judaism's right-wing wing and were seen as potential supporters of Netanyahu's bid to remain in office.
Despite the pressure, the party ultimately decided as a whole not to recommend any candidate.
The decision leaves Eisenkot on course to finish the consultations with a significant advantage in endorsements, although his projected 56 supporters would still fall short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.
Ultra-Orthodox party refuses to back either candidate
United Torah Judaism's representatives were the first to arrive at the President's Residence on Thursday morning.
The delegation included lawmakers Yitzhak Pindrus, Yitzhak Goldknopf and Moshe Rosenthal, along with party secretary Amitai Shulman and Goldknopf's aide, Moti Babchik.
Opening the meeting, Herzog emphasized the importance of dialogue across political divisions.
"In this building, everyone is allowed to say anything and meet with anyone," the president said.
The discussion quickly turned to one of Israel's most divisive domestic issues: military conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.
The question has become increasingly contentious amid a severe shortage of soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces following years of war.
For decades, many ultra-Orthodox men studying full time in religious seminaries, known as yeshivas, have been exempted or granted deferments from compulsory military service.
The arrangement has faced growing legal challenges and public criticism, particularly as the military seeks additional personnel.
Pindrus raised concerns about what he described as incitement against the ultra-Orthodox community and the treatment of religious students amid demands to expand military recruitment.
Asked by Herzog what United Torah Judaism expected from the next government, Pindrus said any administration would need to address what he called "a reality in which Torah scholars are persecuted."
Herzog pressed the delegation on whether it would support a framework requiring ultra-Orthodox men who are not engaged in religious study to enlist.
"Do you have a conscription framework? Do you agree that those who are not studying should enlist?" Herzog asked.
Pindrus responded that United Torah Judaism's longstanding position was based on the principle of Torato Umanuto, a Hebrew phrase meaning that Torah study is a person's full-time occupation.
"The traditional position of United Torah Judaism is that the arrangement applies to those whose Torah study is their occupation," Pindrus said.
Goldknopf later emphasized that the party was not committed to either political camp.
"We are not obligated to any bloc," he said.
The declaration reinforced the party's decision to withhold an endorsement and suggested that its eventual coalition position could depend on negotiations over religious and other policy issues.
Herzog challenges party over military exemptions
Herzog continued questioning the ultra-Orthodox representatives about whether they were prepared to support a new conscription law capable of winning broader public and political acceptance.
"Do you have a framework that differs from what existed until now, meaning the possibility of legislating a conscription law that could achieve broader agreement?" Herzog asked.
He also sought a clear answer on whether the party believed ultra-Orthodox men who do not study Torah should be required to serve.
Pindrus insisted that the party's position had remained consistent since Israel's establishment in 1948.
"United Torah Judaism's position has not changed since the establishment of the state, that the arrangement concerns those whose Torah study is their occupation," he said.
Pindrus added that the legislative framework governing the issue had previously been established in law and subsequently changed following the Tal Law, legislation that sought to regulate military service deferments for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students.
Herzog challenged that account, pointing to an earlier expansion of exemptions under the government of former prime minister Menachem Begin.
"It changed under Begin's government, when the coalition agreement determined that everyone would be exempt instead of having a quota," Herzog said.
The exchange reflected the longstanding dispute over the historical basis and scope of military exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
The issue has repeatedly destabilized Israeli coalition governments, with ultra-Orthodox parties demanding protections for religious study while other political factions seek to expand military service obligations.
President points to existing ultra-Orthodox military units
Herzog argued that the military already offers models designed to accommodate the religious requirements of ultra-Orthodox soldiers.
He cited a visit to the IDF's Hasmonean Brigade, a military formation established specifically for ultra-Orthodox recruits.
"On the eve of Tisha B'Av, I visited the Hasmonean Brigade and saw a fully ultra-Orthodox brigade operating under General Staff orders," Herzog said.
Tisha B'Av is an annual Jewish day of mourning commemorating the destruction of the ancient temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies in Jewish history.
"There are models in which ultra-Orthodox soldiers can find their place as ultra-Orthodox Jews," Herzog said.
During the discussion, Herzog also raised the importance of planning for future generations and the issue of core curriculum studies in ultra-Orthodox educational institutions.
Many ultra-Orthodox schools place heavy emphasis on religious instruction, and the extent to which they teach subjects such as mathematics and English has long been a subject of political debate.
Pindrus expressed reservations about the prospect of what he called "social change," saying his party was instead hoping for "economic change," highlighting the party's preference for addressing economic challenges within the ultra-Orthodox community without fundamentally altering its religious and social structure.
Otzma Yehudit endorses Netanyahu, alleges election fraud
Representatives of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party were next to meet Herzog, with lawmakers Limor Son Har-Melech, Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Yitzhak Kroizer and Amichai Eliyahu attending the consultations.
Wasserlauf opened with a political statement highlighting the party's achievements in the outgoing government before formally endorsing Netanyahu to form the next government, as expected. He then demanded that Herzog require every party attending the consultations to explicitly recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization.
President Isaac Herzog meets with Otzma Yehudit representatives for consultations at the President's Residence in Jerusalem
(Photo: GPO)
Against the backdrop of an investigation into suspected foreign interference in the election, Wasserlauf repeated unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud and accused Arab parties of benefiting from purchased votes.
"We speak on behalf of our voters and many others who have no confidence in the election results because some of the votes were bought with money to benefit lists that do not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization," he claimed, presenting the allegations as fact without providing evidence.
Herzog pushed back sharply. "All of this is speculation. There is no evidence or proof," the president said. "In the legal system, suspicions must be substantiated. We must be careful because people make assertions that sometimes end up amounting to nothing. A team of leading legal experts has been established, and the matter must be investigated thoroughly."
Son Har-Melech also questioned the election's legitimacy, claiming that "the public does not believe the election results."
Herzog urged the lawmakers not to generalize about Israel's entire Arab population. He also questioned whether Otzma Yehudit's allegations were intended to shift attention away from another possible explanation for the high Arab voter turnout: opposition to the policies of party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir during his tenure as national security minister.
Kroizer rejected the suggestion, arguing that the turnout reflected Ben-Gvir's effectiveness.
"That is a badge of honor for Minister Ben-Gvir," he said. "For 40 years, they lived in lawlessness and the law was not enforced. Finally, Minister Ben-Gvir came along and enforced the law."
Following the consultations, Ben-Gvir issued a statement vowing to maintain his hard-line approach toward Palestinian security prisoners.
"Whatever position I hold, I will continue working to make terrorists' lives in prison a living hell," Ben-Gvir said.
Democrats endorse Eisenkot, clash with Herzog over unity government
Representatives of the Democrats party formally endorsed Eisenkot to form the next government.
The delegation included lawmakers Efrat Rayten, Naama Lazimi and Gilad Kariv, along with Gaby Lasky-Shutz and Yaya Fink.
President Isaac Herzog meets with the Democrats representatives for consultations at the President's Residence in Jerusalem
(Photo: GPO)
Kariv argued that the election had delivered a clear verdict against Netanyahu, even if translating that result into a governing coalition would prove difficult.
"The election produced a clear decision, even if it is difficult to translate it into a governing reality," Kariv said. "There is a clear majority of 67 seats against the continuation of Netanyahu's rule, and that was the central question."
"Our role is to fulfill the voters' wishes and bring about a change of government," he added.
Herzog challenged the party's position, asking whether the election results warranted an effort to establish a broad national unity government rather than continuing the political divide over Netanyahu.
"You cannot ignore the 27 seats Likud received, a quarter of the people," Herzog said. "Is everything in life going to be about 'yes or no to Netanyahu,' or are there enormous challenges that the party that founded the state has always known how to understand? Isn't it time to make a serious effort toward the political center?"
Kariv rejected the suggestion, arguing that Netanyahu had repeatedly undermined efforts to achieve national unity.
"There was no talk of unity under the right-wing government. Netanyahu was always the one who withdrew his hand from unity," Kariv said.
"But this discussion is not personal. The public wants a change in policy, and Israel's international standing demands a change of direction. If Netanyahu remains prime minister, our situation will continue to deteriorate."
Kariv said the Democrats would support an Eisenkot-led government even if it initially lacked a parliamentary majority.
"We support forming a government even if it is a minority government, and afterward we will work to expand it," he said.
Herzog questioned whether such an arrangement could function effectively, citing the difficulties faced by the previous anti-Netanyahu coalition, commonly known as the "government for change," which took office in 2021.
"How can you run a government that relies on a minority? It's complicated," Herzog said. "We already experienced that with the government for change, when we couldn't even get tree planting in the Negev approved. There is such a thing as realpolitik."
Rayten pushed back, arguing that the election had produced a substantially stronger mandate for political change than the one enjoyed by the previous coalition.
"Sixty-seven seats constitute a solid majority for change, far more than the government for change had," she said.
Fink also rejected Herzog's call for a national unity government, describing the prospect of unity under Netanyahu as a political deception.
"There can be no unity with Netanyahu," Fink said. "You want unity? Replace Netanyahu. We will look after everyone. There will be no D9 bulldozer running over either side."
Ra'am endorses Eisenkot, rejects election interference allegations
The United Arab List, known by its Hebrew acronym Ra'am, also endorsed Eisenkot to form the next government, as party chairman Mansour Abbas rejected allegations of foreign interference in the election and accused Netanyahu's allies of waging a political campaign against Arab parties.
The Ra'am delegation to the President's Residence included lawmakers Abbas, Iman Khatib-Yasin and Walid al-Hawashla, along with former senior police official and lawmaker Yoav Segalovitz.
President Isaac Herzog meets with Ra'am representatives for consultations at the President's Residence in Jerusalem
(Photo: GPO)
Announcing his party's endorsement of Eisenkot, Abbas expressed hope that the next coalition would be "a good government."
He described Ra'am as the largest party representing Arab voters and argued that the sharp increase in turnout among Arab Israelis reflected dissatisfaction with Netanyahu's government.
Herzog pressed Abbas on the investigation into suspected foreign financing and interference in the election, acknowledging the controversy surrounding the allegations.
"We have several elephants in the room. Let's start with the first," Herzog said. "The election results are final and have been certified, but an investigation is underway following allegations of election influence and foreign funding."
Abbas welcomed the investigation, saying his party had twice publicly supported calls for the Shin Bet security agency and police to examine the allegations.
"We have welcomed the decision to demand an investigation by the Shin Bet and police on two occasions, and we have said that we are at the disposal of the investigative authorities," Abbas said. "We are confident in ourselves."
He accused Netanyahu's political allies of targeting Ra'am and organizations associated with the Islamic Movement.
"For four years, mainly at the hands of Otzma Yehudit and extremist elements within Likud, we have been subjected to political persecution," Abbas said. "Ra'am, the Islamic Movement and the nonprofit organizations are demanding an investigation so that the truth can come out."
Segalovitz, a Jewish former senior police official who joined Ra'am, said his decision reflected deep concern about Israel's political direction and the deterioration of public discourse.
"I joined Ra'am as a Jew, as an Israeli patriot, as a Zionist, because of my concern about where the country is heading and the nature of our public discourse," he said.
"We are at a point of profound rupture. Anyone who wants a different future must look at the facts and the needs of society. That is not happening. The discourse is toxic, and Netanyahu is the one driving it."
Segalovitz accused Netanyahu of demonizing the Islamic Movement and Arab political representatives while maintaining a political alliance with Ben-Gvir.
"Just yesterday, he said the Islamic Movement poses a danger and that everyone is a supporter of terrorism," Segalovitz said. "The only person who supports terrorism is Itamar Ben-Gvir, who sits in his government and has been convicted."
Herzog noted that several parties participating in the consultations had expressed opposition to forming a government with Arab political parties, while emphasizing that their objections were directed at non-Zionist parties rather than Arab citizens themselves.
Segalovitz rejected the distinction, arguing that inflammatory rhetoric had become normalized within the right-wing government.
"The statements I hear from the right-wing government have become accepted discourse," he said, accusing Netanyahu of allowing extremists to take control of the political agenda.
"Netanyahu is the one who allowed extremists to take the wheel," he added.
Turning to the foreign interference investigation and allegations involving Ra'am and election-related envelopes, Segalovitz sharply criticized the conduct of authorities and the prime minister's office.
Drawing on his years of experience in law enforcement, he questioned the circumstances surrounding arrests made on Election Day and reports that Shin Bet officials had sought to question political party leaders.
"I spent many years working on investigations, and I have never seen such an outrageous incident, in which the prime minister's office passes information to a district police commander and people are arrested on Election Day," he said. "I have never seen reports like these, claiming that the Shin Bet director wants to investigate political party leaders while the attorney general explains that there is no evidence."
Abbas declines to label Hamas a terrorist organization, citing fears for his family's safety
Herzog raised questions about the party's ability to participate in a government responsible for conducting military operations against Hamas, pressing Abbas on his refusal to explicitly describe the group as a terrorist organization.
Herzog first questioned whether a new coalition could function effectively, citing the difficulties faced by the previous anti-Netanyahu government, in which Ra'am participated.
Ra'am representatives Iman Khatib-Yasin, Mansour Abbas and Walid al-Hawashla arrive at the President's Residence in Jerusalem
(Photo: Oren Ben Hakun)
"Even on its worst day, the government for change was better for Israel's national and social security than the 'full-fledged right-wing' government," Abbas replied, urging Eisenkot to form a government as quickly as possible.
Herzog then turned to Hamas and Israel's ongoing war against the group. Abbas avoided using the word "terrorism" to describe Hamas but emphasized that Ra'am supported its disarmament under U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan.
"Can Ra'am be part of a government that fights terrorism freely, without restrictions?" Herzog asked.
"To claim that our presence in the government would prevent the Cabinet or the government from protecting Israeli citizens is simply untrue," Abbas responded.
Herzog pressed further, asking Abbas directly about Hamas.
"The founder of the Islamic Movement spoke out against acts of terrorism and terrorist attacks, and we continue along that path," Abbas said. "Nobody in the movement or among Ra'am's members has been investigated on suspicion of treason or identifying with a terrorist organization. You cannot constantly subject us to loyalty tests."
Abbas pointed to the Israeli government's acceptance of Trump's Gaza framework, which he said envisioned the establishment of two states and the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups.
"The Israeli government accepted President Trump's framework, under which two states would be established and Hamas and all armed organizations would disarm," he said. "Our vision is reconciliation and peace."
Herzog noted that the plan required Hamas to surrender its weapons before any political settlement could advance.
"That's what we want. I've already said that," Abbas replied.
Abbas also took aim at Netanyahu over the intelligence and security failures preceding the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, accusing the previous leadership of relying on flawed assumptions about the group's intentions.
"It is possible to maintain security with an open mind rather than relying on mistaken assumptions, as happened to us," Abbas said. "Someone believed Sinwar, and that's why he slept soundly at night."
At the conclusion of the consultations, the director-general of the President's Residence directly challenged Abbas over his reluctance to describe Hamas as a terrorist organization.
"Why not say that Hamas is a terrorist organization?" he asked.
Abbas suggested that making such a declaration could endanger him and his family, while also undermining his ability to serve as a bridge between Jewish and Arab communities.
"I have an unequivocal answer, but leave me that room to build a bridge and exert influence on the other side as well," Abbas said. "And leave me room to protect myself and my family."
"We are a bridge. Let's not destroy that bridge. Let's not turn us into supporters of terrorism or traitors," he continued.
"In a certain sense, this is a matter of pikuach nefesh," Abbas said, invoking the Jewish religious principle of preserving human life. "Allow us that space. We are unequivocally opposed to terrorism and violence against any person."
Speaking at a news conference after the meeting, Abbas said he hoped the next government would include representatives from across Israel's political and social spectrum, including ultra-Orthodox parties.
"I want to see all parts of Israeli society represented: right, center, left, Jews and Arabs," he said.
"Even back then, during the government for change, I said it was important to have ultra-Orthodox representation in the coalition. I believe that is possible today as well, and that agreements can be reached on disputed issues."
First published: 09:50, 11.05.26