Herzog Starts Mandate Talks as Ultra-Orthodox Split Deepens

President Isaac Herzog opened the formal process to select the next Israeli government leader on Wednesday evening. The two-day consultation period started with smaller political factions and is scheduled to end on Thursday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud bloc. The president is tasked with choosing the figure he believes can assemble a governing coalition, a role that does not automatically go to the party with the most seats.

The United Torah Judaism party, which holds seven seats in the Knesset, revealed a sharp internal division during the initial sessions. The Degel HaTorah faction, representing the Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox community, announced it would abstain from recommending a candidate. Party Chairman MK Yaakov Asher stated the group is following the directives of spiritual leaders Rabbis Dov Lando and Moshe Hillel Hirsch. The three Hasidic lawmakers from the Agudat Yisrael faction have not yet declared their position.

This abstention highlights a widening gap between the ultra-Orthodox party and Netanyahu. The dispute centers on the outgoing coalition’s failure to pass a law securing military service exemptions for Haredi men. Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party currently holds a clear lead in recommendations. As of Wednesday night, Eisenkot is projected to receive at least 56 votes, compared to 53 for Netanyahu.

The consultations featured direct exchanges between Herzog and party representatives. Orit Strock of Religious Zionism recommended Netanyahu for a national government, arguing that Arab parties are not legitimate participants due to their nationalist stance. Herzog challenged this view, asking how to distinguish such claims from racism, and noted that Yoav Segalovitz, a Jewish police commander, is the second candidate on the Arab-led Ra’am list. The president also rebuked Tzvika Mor for describing the election results as a hostile takeover, calling the remark extremely dangerous.

Moshe Feiglin of the Zehut party recommended Netanyahu but expressed concern over the election’s legitimacy due to ongoing investigations into alleged voter fraud. Shas, which suffered its worst election loss since 1992, confirmed support for Netanyahu. Representatives from the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party stated they prioritize recognizing the value of Torah scholars and urged Herzog to grant the mandate to the Likud leader.

Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party endorsed Eisenkot, confirming it intends to rule out coalitions with both Arab and Haredi parties. MK Oded Forer explained that the refusal to work with these groups is strategic. He argued that the current government has not taken responsibility for the October 7 events and suggested elements within Likud might be open to future cooperation. The Arab-led Joint List had not yet indicated whether it would support Eisenkot or abstain.

Consultations resume on Thursday morning with United Torah Judaism, followed by other major parties. If Eisenkot receives the mandate, he will have a maximum of 42 days to form a government. His path may be complicated by internal opposition within his own bloc to working with both Arab and Haredi partners.