JERUSALEM(National Times)- Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s position in the post-election battle to stay on as Israel\u2019s prime minister weakened on Thursday after an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party withheld support for any nominee and two Arab-led parties endorsed his main opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Isaac Herzog was holding a second day of consultations with political parties in Jerusalem on Thursday to decide whether to pick Netanyahu or rival Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief, to form a government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Herzog has until Nov 11 to decide after Israel\u2019s Oct 27 election ended in deadlock, with neither candidate securing a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though Netanyahu outperformed expectations and his Likud Party won the most seats with 27, his wider nationalist-religious bloc garnered only 53 seats, losing its governing majority. That was still better than Eisenkot\u2019s anti-Netanyahu coalition spanning four centre-left to right-wing Jewish-led parties, which won 48 seats. Two parties representing Israel\u2019s Arab minority won an unprecedented 19 seats on the back of anger over Netanyahu\u2019s hard-right government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Arab lists endorsed Eisenkot on Thursday, giving him backing from a comfortable majority of lawmakers. The Joint List, which bagged 11 seats, said in a statement that \u201cit will inform the President of the State, Isaac Herzog, this evening of its decision to recommend that Gadi Eisenkot be tasked with forming the government\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raam, which won eight seats, also endorsed Eisenkot. Herzog traditionally gives the mandate to the person recommended by more parties, making it likely he will ask Eisenkot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the Arab lists are potential kingmakers, Eisenkot, like Netanyahu, has so far ruled out forming a government with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Relying on their numbers would risk losing support from some in the opposition, notably Avigdor Liberman, a former Netanyahu aide turned outspoken critic who shares hawkish views on the Palestinians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a setback for Netanyahu, United Torah Judaism, an ultra-Orthodox party that backed him after the previous five elections, declined to recommend him again, although it also did not side with Eisenkot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The party informed Herzog \u201cthat it has decided not to recommend any member of Knesset to form a government\u201d, the president\u2019s office said, referring to the parliament in which the party won seven seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn whatever government is next formed, our immediate item is sorting out the status of Torah students,\u201d United Torah Judaism lawmaker Isaac Pindrus said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once Herzog gives his mandate, that lawmaker will have 28 days to form a government, with a potential 14-day extension. Netanyahu remains prime minister in a caretaker government until a new coalition is formed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
JERUSALEM(National Times)- Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s position in the post-election battle to stay on as Israel\u2019s prime minister weakened on Thursday after an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party withheld support for any nominee and two Arab-led parties endorsed his main opponent. President Isaac Herzog was holding a second day of consultations with political parties in Jerusalem on Thursday to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":135999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n