Herzog Continues Government Formation Talks as UTJ Withholds Recommendation

President Isaac Herzog began a second round of consultations with party representatives at the President's Residence on Thursday, November 5, as the process of selecting a candidate to form Israel's next government entered its final stretch. Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot remained expected to receive the mandate once Herzog completed the meetings.

United Torah Judaism opened Thursday's consultations by informing Herzog that it would not recommend any candidate. Its delegation placed the protection of Torah students at the center of the discussion, with MK Yitzhak Pindrus saying that this concern took precedence over the establishment of a government.

Pindrus told Herzog that whichever government was formed should give its highest priority to addressing what he described as the persecution of Torah students. Explaining the party's decision to focus on its demands rather than endorse a prospective prime minister, he said: "We came to discuss topics and not people."

The discussion also covered military conscription and penalties for avoiding service. Pindrus said sanctions should apply only to people whose Torah study was not their occupation. When Herzog asked whether people who did not study Torah should be required to serve in the IDF, Pindrus clarified that UTJ's opposition to conscription concerned Torah students only. Herzog expressed regret over the High Court of Justice's decision to strike down the Tal Law, including the narrow margin of that ruling.

UTJ's representatives included Pindrus and Moshe Rosenthal of the Degel Hatorah faction, MK Yitzhak Goldknopf, who leads the Agudat Yisrael faction, Amitai Shulmam and Moti Babchik. A delegation from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party also arrived at the residence and was expected to recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Herzog's remaining Thursday meetings were scheduled to include the Democrats, Ra'am, the Joint List, B'Yachad, Yashar and, last, Likud. Likud was expected to back Netanyahu, while the other parties on that list were expected to recommend Eisenkot. Many parties had already indicated their intention to support the Yashar leader's bid to form the next government.

Thursday's discussions followed consultations on Wednesday in which the Religious Zionist Party, Shas and Zehut recommended Netanyahu. Yisrael Beytenu, led by Avigdor Liberman, instead endorsed Eisenkot. The consultation process was still underway, with the expectation that Eisenkot would receive the mandate after all parties had met with Herzog.