Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party backs Netanyahu for next government

Shas backs Netanyahu

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party announced on Tuesday that it would recommend President Isaac Herzog task Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu with forming the next government, citing his commitment to securing military draft exemptions for religious seminary students. The party said in a statement that it would recommend another term for the veteran premier, citing his "clear and uncompromising statement on his continued support and commitment to regulating the status of Torah students," according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

The statement did not elaborate on the specific legislative arrangements being sought by the party’s leadership, though the issue of conscription for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students has long been a flashpoint in Israeli coalition politics. Shas has historically demanded guarantees that religious students remain exempt from mandatory military service as a condition for joining government coalitions.

Opposition maneuvering

The announcement comes ahead of Herzog’s consultations with parliamentary factions scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, sessions that will determine which lawmaker receives the formal mandate to attempt coalition building. Earlier on Tuesday, opposition leaders agreed to recommend Gadi Eisenkot — head of the Yashar party — for the prime ministership and authorized their representatives to begin negotiations on policy guidelines and coalition agreements.

Neither bloc currently commands the 61-seat majority required to govern in the 120-member Knesset, leaving Herzog with limited options for breaking the impasse. The president retains the authority to nominate any member of parliament he believes capable of assembling a workable coalition, regardless of which camp enjoys a numerical advantage.

Parliamentary arithmetic

Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc holds 53 seats in the incoming parliament, compared with 48 for the opposition parties and 19 for Arab parties, leaving both main camps short of the threshold needed to form a majority government. The political deadlock raises the prospect of prolonged coalition talks or potentially a fifth consecutive election in less than four years.

The Central Elections Committee is expected to announce the official and final results on Wednesday, formally clearing the way for Herzog’s deliberations. Coalition negotiations are likely to extend well beyond the announcement as both camps compete to woo smaller factions and independent lawmakers.