OMM Newsroom
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party said Tuesday it would recommend that President Isaac Herzog task Benjamin Netanyahu with forming the next government, Anadolu Agency reported.
In a statement, Shas said it would back another term for Netanyahu, citing his “clear and uncompromising statement on his continued support and commitment to regulating the status of Torah students,” according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth. The statement did not detail the proposed arrangements.
The announcement came ahead of Herzog’s consultations with parliamentary parties, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, to decide which lawmaker he will ask to try to form a government.
Earlier Tuesday, Israeli opposition leaders agreed to recommend Yashar party head Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister and to begin negotiations on policy guidelines and coalition agreements.
Netanyahu’s bloc has 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for opposition parties and 19 for Arab parties. Neither of the main blocs has the 61 seats needed for a majority.
The Central Elections Committee is expected to announce the official final results on Wednesday.
