On Friday, President Isaac Herzog announced that he is presenting Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party the mandate to form a government. After meeting with all the parties, President Herzog concluded that 64 members of the Knesset recommended Netanyahu for the position of prime minister. These included MKs from Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, the Religious Zionist faction, Otzma Yehudit, and Noam. This will give Likud a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

28 members of Yesh Atid and Labor recommended Yair Lapid, head of Yesh Atid. 

28 Knesset members from the National Unity Party, Yisrael Beytenu, Ra’am, and Hadash-Ta’al did not recommend any candidate. 

On Sunday, Netanyahu will arrive at the president’s office to officially accept the mandate after which he will have 28 days to form a majority coalition. If he is unable to do so, the president may authorize a 14-day extension. 

Likud officials said Wednesday that their party “will make an effort to form the government as quickly as possible,” once Netanyahu is formally tasked with the job. The party has already been meeting with others to negotiate a coalition.