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What happened: President Herzog has spent the last two days in consultation with representatives of all the factions entering the new Knesset, with each one asked to endorse a candidate for prime minister.

• As expected, Netanyahu has the support of 64 MKs and will be given the mandate to form a government.
• Due to the numerical advantage of Netanyahu’s bloc, the National Unity Party and Yisrael Beiteinu decided not to endorse any candidate.
• Herzog asked the representatives of the National Unity Party why did not want to join a Netanyahu led government. MK Eitan Ginzburg replied, “We tried that already once with Benjamin Netanyahu and we were sorry to discover that his personal interests took precedence over national interests.”
• Yesh Atid’s representatives formally endorsed their own party leader Yair Lapid for prime minister, re-emphasising that they would not join a Netanyahu government as they “won’t sit with someone who is facing serious criminal charges.”
• All the consultations have been broadcast live on TV for full transparency.  However, on Wednesday at the end of his meeting with Shas representatives, the cameras were turned off, but the microphones were still on.  Herzog was heard commenting on the Jewish Power leader Itamar Ben Gvir. Herzog said, “There’s one issue that I didn’t raise because I don’t want to shame anyone, but you’re going to have a problem on the Temple Mount. That’s a critical issue. You have a partner whom the entire world around us is anxious about. I also said that to him. Between us, this isn’t really for publication. I don’t want to stir up trouble. You’ve got a responsibility to speak up.”
• Yesterday the consultations continued and President Herzog met Ben Gvir telling him, “You and your party have a certain image that has elicited concern in many places regarding your attitude toward Arabs and Muslims in our country.”
• In response, Ben Gvir said, “I’m not a racist, you know that perfectly well. I love my people and want things to be good for the Arabs in Umm el-Fahm and Nazareth and to have order. When there’s no order there, we don’t have order either. I don’t make generalisations about all the Arabs.”
• Regarding the Temple Mount, Herzog said, “The Muslim world asks me about the Temple Mount. That topic is sensitive.”
•  To which Ben Gvir replied, “We aren’t saying that the Temple Mount isn’t sacred to others, but it must be remembered that the Temple Mount is our heart, our history. I ask you, sir, when you speak with all the officials, to remember and recall that the Mount is sacred to the people of Israel too. We all oppose racism, and you cannot tell a Jew, ‘you can’t visit the Temple Mount because you’re Jewish.’”

Coalition demands:  Even before receiving the formal endorsement, Netanyahu is working to reach coalition agreements with his right wing bloc.

• Netanyahu’s preferred approach is to allocate ministerial positions, have the new government sworn in and then deal with the government guidelines.  However, only Aryeh Deri the Shas leader accepts this approach, with the other parties insisting on agreeing the guidelines before they sign.
• Netanyahu had until recently insisted on retaining finance, defence and foreign ministries in the hands of the Likud. However, due to his partners demands it appears he will need to compromise.
• The latest speculation now suggests that Deri or Religious Zionist leader Smotrich will receive the finance ministry.
• If it goes to Deri, Smotrich is expected to demanded the defence portfolio. In that role, he would have overall responsibility for the West Bank, where he is hoping to legalise settlement outposts, currently illegal under Israeli law.
• A senior Likud official told Yediot Ahronot, “As defence minister, Smotrich won’t be able to visit the king of Jordan or the president of Egypt, and he won’t be able to manage bilateral strategic ties with the Americans either. Is there a leader in the world, and definitely the Arab world, who’ll agree to meet with Smotrich?”
• Ben Gvir is looking to become public security minister with responsibility for the police.
• Netanyahu will then face the challenge to satisfy the competing ambitions within his own Likud party.
• Among the issues that will be laid out in the government guidelines, one of the most controversial issues will be judicial reform.  Primarily focused on an override clause, that negates the ability of the High Court to overturn Knesset legislation.
• In addition, the issue of annexing parts of the West Bank could also return to the agenda.
• The ultra-Orthodox parties are most concerned with increasing the budget for their religious institutions and reversing some of the decisions made by the outgoing government relating to the balance between religion and state.

Looking ahead: This morning the President will complete his consultations, meeting  of representatives of Hadash-Ta’al and then the Labour Party.

• On Sunday he is expected to formally declare that Netanyahu will be tasked with forming the next government, who will then have 28 days to fulfil his mandate and present a coalition.
• The new Knesset will be sworn in next week on November 15.