Israeli President Isaac Herzog completed consultations Friday with all parliamentary groups elected to the Twenty-Fifth Knesset.
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.
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.
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.
The Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Religious Zionist, Otzma Yehudit, and Noam parties all agreed to back Netanyahu's candidacy, while the MKs from Yesh Atid and Labor endorsed incumbent Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
The National Unity, Yisrael Beytenu, United Arab List (Ra'am), and Hadash-Ta'al parties all refused to endorse any candidate.