Herzog Claims Broad Discretion Over Who Forms Government

President Isaac Herzog declared on Wednesday that he holds "very broad discretion when deciding which member of the Knesset to task with forming a government." He made the statement hours before opening consultations with the factions elected to the 26th Knesset. Herzog said he plans to conduct rigorous discussions and is prepared to hold additional rounds of consultations at various levels if they prove necessary.

The talks open at 5 p.m. at the President's Residence. In a break from past practice, Herzog will meet the factions in ascending order of seats, beginning with Religious Zionism-Zehut. His office said the change is meant to encourage fresh thinking and to allow a wider look at coalition options before the larger parties arrive.

Shas is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. and Yisrael Beiteinu for 7:15 p.m., Ynet reported. Thursday's sessions open with United Torah Judaism at 8:30 a.m., followed by Otzma Yehudit, the Democrats, Ra'am, the Joint List, Naftali Bennett's Beyachad and Yashar!. Likud, the largest party in the new Knesset, closes the round at 8:30 p.m. The order leaves the smaller parties less time to settle on a recommendation.

The consultations will be streamed live on the president's official social media accounts. Faction leaders will be able to address reporters at a media center inside the President's Residence immediately after their meetings.

The candidate who receives the mandate will have 28 days to assemble a coalition under Basic Law: The Government. Herzog may extend that period by up to 14 days. If the first candidate fails, the president can give a second candidate 28 days. If that attempt also collapses, at least 61 MKs have 21 days to ask for an alternative candidate, who then gets 14 days to form a government, JNS reported.

Political assessments put Gadi Eisenkot ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first mandate. Bennett and Democrats chairman Yair Golan have committed to recommending Eisenkot. Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman announced on Monday that he would do the same, ending days of uncertainty. Ra'am and the Joint List met in Nazareth on Monday, and their recommendations appear likely to be coordinated.

Shas, which fell from 11 seats to six, is expected to back Netanyahu. "Deri and Shas are important partners of mine and of the right-wing bloc," Netanyahu said. United Torah Judaism remains undecided and has not ruled out recommending neither candidate. Avraham Justman, the party's legal adviser, told Radio Jerusalem that "right now, it appears that the change bloc has more room to maneuver."

On Sunday, Herzog called on party leaders to bring creative solutions to prevent another election, telling them: "Stop climbing trees and face this reality." Under the law, the president must assign the mandate within seven days of the publication of the election results.