BICOM

Israel’s President Shimon Peres yesterday completed his consultations with representatives from all of the Knesset’s elected parties and is set to ask Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government on Saturday night.

Having met with delegations from the Knesset’s two largest factions, Likud-Beitenu and Yesh Atid on Wednesday, Peres continued to fulfil his legal obligation by consulting the remaining parliamentary parties yesterday over who should form the next government. Labour Party leader Shelly Yachimovich declined to recommend anyone to Peres, but vowed to lead a “responsible opposition.” Meretz leader Zahava Gal-On made a similar pledge to be “a fighting opposition” and also opted not to suggest anyone as the next prime minister. Tzipi Livni similarly refrained from making a recommendation and indicated that her Hatnuah party had not yet decided whether to seek coalition membership, saying “the test,” will be “the need for a resumption of peace talks.” The two Arab factions, Ta’al and Balad and the Arab-Jewish Communist party Hadash declined to suggest a future head of government and raised concerns with Peres over Arab integration into mainstream Israel.

Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett had no hesitation in recommending Netanyahu, saying “Throughout the entire campaign we said we’d name him and nothing’s changed.” Bennett reportedly later met with Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Lieberman to discuss coalition permutations. Peres also met with Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz, who endorsed Netanyahu. Leaders of ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) both recommended Netanyahu and appealed to Peres to help prevent damaging divides in the country over a universal military draft. Meanwhile, Peres agreed to a request by UTJ to wait until Saturday night to summon a potential prime minister, as doing so on Friday would encourage working on Saturday to form a coalition, a desecration of the Sabbath.