Herzog says Trump’s Netanyahu endorsement won’t affect who he tasks as PM: Nobody ‘can intervene in my discretion’

After US President Donald Trump’s reiteration of his endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for another term, President Isaac Herzog tells US media that he won’t be affected by that or by any outside pressure when deciding who he tasks with forming a coalition after Tuesday’s election.

“I don’t think the president of the United States or anybody else can intervene in my discretion — the discretion has to be based on certain facts, and we will see what the facts are,” Herzog tells MS NOW.

After the votes are tallied, Herzog will consult the leaders of the elected parties before tasking the lawmaker he believes has the best chance of forming a government, which does not necessarily need to be the leader of the largest party or bloc — but is usually the lawmaker who secures the most recommendations as premier from fellow MKs.

If the candidate fails to assemble a coalition within 28 days (with a 14-day extension period), he may task a second lawmaker. If that attempt falls short, a majority of 61 MKs can request that the president assign the task to a particular lawmaker within a further 21-day period.

While noting that “there will be a lot of pressure” and stressing his “huge respect” for Trump, Herzog says he alone will make the decision on who to task: “It’s Israel’s democracy and Israel’s constitution, and that’s what counts for me.”

“It’s going to be very delicate… It’s really an open game, especially if the results are going to be close,” he says of the complex array of blocs, which according to polls is highly likely to produce a stalemate, with no candidate able to form a majority coalition.

The president reiterates that he will do whatever he can to prevent a repeat election, including trying to force a unity government between Netanyahu’s Likud party and main challenger Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar.

“I don’t know if it’s feasible,” he concedes, though.