Eisenkot favoured to form Israel’s next government
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Vanguard
The religious United Torah Judaism party has refused to recommend Benjamin Netanyahu, strengthening Gadi Eisenkot’s position in consultations to form Israel’s next government. President Isaac Herzog must now choose the member of parliament tasked with trying to assemble a majority, reports Vanguard.
Gadi Eisenkot, Israel’s opposition leader and former army chief of staff, emerged on Thursday as the favourite to receive the mandate to form the next government, reports Vanguard. President Isaac Herzog was holding his second day of consultations with parties after the 27 October election, which gave neither Eisenkot nor outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a majority.
The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, which had backed Netanyahu in the previous five elections, declined to recommend a member of parliament to form the government. The party has seven of the 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, the presidency said. Eisenkot, meanwhile, received the support of a prominent parliamentarian from the Arab minority, while his position on accepting that support remains uncertain.
Herzog must choose the member of parliament tasked with trying to form a coalition himself, although the mandate traditionally goes to the person recommended by the largest number of parties. A key disagreement concerns the exemption from military service granted to religious students: Netanyahu has maintained it, while Eisenkot wants to end it, according to Vanguard.
The presidential consultation follows the launch on 4 November of Herzog’s talks to form the Israeli government. The Israeli opposition had previously backed Eisenkot to replace Netanyahu on 3 November.
