Netanyahu poised to receive mandate to form government

Likud, Religious Zionism, Shas and United Torah Judaism  recommend Netanyahu be tapped to form the next government. President Herzog expected to give Netanyahu mandate next Sunday.

By JNS

The Religious Zionism and United Torah Judaism political parties recommended on Thursday that opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu be tasked with forming Israel’s next governing coalition.

The development comes a day after the other two parties that make up Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc, his Likud Party and Shas, also recommended that he be given the opportunity to form a government.

The recommendations were made following consultations between party representatives and President Isaac Herzog, who will officially hand out the mandate to form the government on Sunday.

The designated candidate, which will almost undoubtedly be Netanyahu, will then have four weeks, with the possibility of a 14-day extension, to earn the formal support of at least 61 parliamentarians to pass a confidence vote in the 120-seat Knesset.

After five elections in rapid succession beginning in April 2019, the Israeli public has given Netanyahu a resounding mandate to helm a stable, right-religious coalition.

Already Israel’s longest-serving premier, Netanyahu looks primed to return to the Prime Minister’s Office for an unprecedented third round of leadership, after holding the post from 1996-1999 and 2009-2021.