<p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Friday, 11 November 2022 / 17 Cheshvan 5783 – President Isaac Herzog completed consultations today with all parliamentary groups elected to the Twenty-Fifth Knesset.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">In sum, 64 members of Knesset recommended to the President that he assign the task of forming a government to Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu MK. Twenty-eight MKs recommended Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid MK, and four factions, representing 28 members of Knesset, decided to abstain from making any recommendation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Following the consultations, Office of the President Director-General Eyal Shviki phoned Benjamin Netanyahu MK's chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, and requested to invite Benjamin Netanyahu MK to receive from the President the role of forming a government on Sunday (13 November 2022).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">By law, once the President assigns the task of government formation on a member of Knesset, the latter has according to Basic Law: The Government, 28 days to form a new government. If an extension is required, the President has the legal authority to grant an extension of up to fourteen additional days.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Summary of consultations at the President's Residence over the past three days, following elections to the Twenty-Fifth Knesset:</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Factions recommending Benjamin Netanyahu MK:</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">1. Likud</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">2. Shas</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">3. United Torah Judaism</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">4. Religious Zionism</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">5. Jewish Power</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">6. Noam</span></p> <p><br></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Factions recommending Yair Lapid MK:</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">1. Yesh Atid</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">2. Labor</span></p> <p><br></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Factions that refrained from making any recommendation:</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">1. National Unity</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">2. Yisrael Beitenu</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">3. United Arab List (Ra'am)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">4. Hadash-Ta'al</span></p>