United Torah Judaism Declines to Recommend a Prime Minister to Herzog
United Torah Judaism recommended no candidate to form Israel's next government on November 5, the President's Residence said. Ra'am and the Democrats backed Gadi Eisenkot, while Otzma Yehudit recommended Benjamin Netanyahu.
The delegation's answer left United Torah Judaism outside the two competing recommendations presented during Thursday's consultations in Jerusalem. The President's Residence confirmed the decision in its official account of the meeting, as Isaac Herzog continued hearing from parties elected to the next Knesset.
A Delegation Without a Candidate
United Torah Judaism's delegation included Yitzhak Pindrus and Yitzhak Goldknopf, alongside Moshe Rosenthal, Amitai Shulman and Moti Babchik. The presidential statement recorded a decision to recommend no member of the Knesset for the task of forming a government.
That gives Herzog a different answer from a delegation backing one of the main contenders. The consultation process collects each party's position, including a decision to withhold a recommendation, before the president chooses a member of parliament to attempt to assemble a government.
Other Parties Put Names Forward
In separate statements issued on November 5, the President's Residence confirmed that the Democrats and Ra'am recommended Eisenkot. Otzma Yehudit recommended Netanyahu. These were the positions delivered in the meetings themselves, following the consultation schedule announced earlier this week.
The Democrats' delegation included Efrat Rayten, Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv, Gabriela Lasky-Schultz and Yaya Fink. Otzma Yehudit sent Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Amichai Eliyahu, Limor Son Har-Melech and Yitzhak Kroizer, according to the official meeting records.
Religious Zionism had recommended Netanyahu during its meeting on Wednesday, November 4. The President's Residence identified Orit Strock, Itamar Eitam and Zvika Mor as members of that delegation.
What the President Decides
Under Basic Law: The Government, Herzog consults the parliamentary groups and assigns the task to a Knesset member who agrees to accept it. The legal procedure requires a decision within seven days of publication of the election results.
The law gives the president responsibility for selecting the member who will attempt to form a government. A party recommendation supplies evidence of political support; the government itself must subsequently win the confidence of the Knesset. The two stages are separate parts of Israel's government formation process.
Consultations can take place before the newly elected parliament first convenes. In that situation, the law directs the president to consult representatives of the candidate lists that will be represented in the new Knesset.
The Formation Period Comes Next
The first member assigned the task receives 28 days to form a government. The president can extend that period by up to 14 additional days in total. Those deadlines begin with the assignment of the task, giving the chosen member a defined period for negotiations.
If that attempt fails, the law provides further procedures for assigning the task again. For now, Thursday's official statements establish the parties' recommendations at their meetings, while the decision on the mandate belongs to Herzog.
Once the selected member has formed a government, that member must notify both the president and the Knesset speaker. The speaker then informs parliament and schedules the government formation sitting within seven days of notifying the Knesset.
Once a government is assembled, it must present its basic policy guidelines, composition and allocation of ministerial portfolios to the Knesset and request its confidence.
