Israeli President Isaac Herzog will officially ask Benjamin Netanyahu to form the country’s next government after consulting with all parliament’s political parties, a statement from the presidency said.
Netanyahu’s Likud party won the highest percentage of the vote on Nov. 1. He’s widely expected to partner with Religious Zionism and the country’s two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism. This right-wing coalition will give Netanyahu, who was Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, the chance to return to office after less than 18 months in opposition.
But it will also mean that he will lean on support from a number of once-fringe politicians whose stances on minority rights — particularly Arab-Israeli and Palestinian rights — have deepened domestic tensions and drawn rebuke from the US.
Sixty-four members of the 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, recommended that the president tap Netanyahu, the presidency statement said.
Herzog will officially make the request of Netanyahu Nov. 13. He’ll will then have 28 days to form a government with the option to request another 14 days if needed.
