The left-wing Democrats party arrived Thursday morning at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, for a consultation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
During the consultation, the Democrats recommended Yashar! chairman Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government.
Addressing the election results, Herzog noted that neither side had emerged victorious. He also emphasized that the fact that Likud and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had won a quarter of the Knesset seats could not be ignored.
"Is everything about being for or against Netanyahu?" Herzog asked.
Questioning what the center-left parties' message would be after Netanyahu retires, he added, "I argue with him endlessly, but is everything in life about being for or against Netanyahu? Isn't it time for the party to pursue something bigger and more unifying?"
MK Gilad Kariv responded that Labor, Meretz, and the Democrats had demonstrated over the years their ability to form broad partnerships, but argued that the political reality of recent years could not be ignored.
Kariv claimed that Netanyahu had been given opportunities to promote national unity, emphasizing: "Anyone who wishes to advance national unity must understand that the Netanyahu era must come to an end."
Herzog recalled the "change government" led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, noting that even on issues such as Jewish National Fund tree-planting activities, the coalition had been unable to reach agreements.
"What is our priority, to continue fighting or to create a different reality?" Herzog asked.