The second round of consultations between President Isaac Herzog and party representatives on whom they will recommend to form the next government began at the President’s Residence on Thursday.
United Torah Judaism’s delegation kicked off the day by telling Herzog that the party will not recommend anyone to form a government.
UTJ’s first priority is protecting people who study Torah, MK Yitzhak Pindrus told Herzog.
Pindrus said that protecting Torah students took priority over establishing a government, saying that UTJ expects any government that is formed to make the issue of “those who study Torah being persecuted” its top priority.
“We came to discuss topics and not people,” he stated.
Otzma Yehudit, the Democrats, Ra’am, the Joint List, B’Yachad, Yashar, and finally Likud, are also set to meet with Herzog later on Thursday.
Otzma Yehudit and Likud are expected to recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the candidate to receive the mandate, while the others, with the exception of UTJ, are expected to recommend the chairman of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, for prime minister.
In Wednesday’s consultations, the Religious Zionist Party, Shas, and Zehut all recommended Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Yisrael Beytenu, led by Avigdor Liberman, recommended chairman of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, as the candidate to form the next government.
Eisenkot is still expected to receive the mandate from Herzog following the conclusion of consultations with all the parties, many of which have expressed their intention to recommend the Yashar leader to form the next government.
Keshet Neev and Shir Perets contributed to this report.
This is a developing story.
