United Torah Judaism Refuses to Recommend Netanyahu for Prime Minister
United Torah Judaism declined to recommend Benjamin Netanyahu or Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister during presidential consultations over military service exemptions for religious students.
The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party declined to recommend either Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to lead the next government during consultations with President Isaac Herzog on November 5. This decision follows the October 27 election, in which neither candidate secured a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
While United Torah Judaism has backed Netanyahu in the previous five elections, the party informed the president's office that it would not recommend any member of the Knesset to form a government. The party, which holds seven seats, cited the protection of military service exemptions for Torah students as its primary priority.
President Herzog is conducting these consultations to determine which lawmaker has the best chance of forming a coalition. Although Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats compared to Eisenkot's 48, Eisenkot is expected to receive more individual party recommendations and may seek a coalition with Arab-led parties, who won 19 seats. The lawmaker eventually tasked with the mandate will have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to form a government.
