Herzog to start consultations with smallest parties first; Religious Zionism meeting set for Wednesday evening

President Isaac Herzog will begin consultations with the leaders of the smallest parties first, his office says, “in order to allow a broad examination of all the options on the table, before consultations are held with the large factions, and to generate out-of-the-box thinking,” on who to task with forming the next government.

“The president wishes to hear the positions of all factions, and to examine whether there are additional directions or alternatives that may help in forging agreements and forming a government,” says the President’s Residence in a statement. “This is based on the perception that at this time it is important to exhaust all possibilities, broaden the discourse, and examine every path that may advance the process.”

Herzog will meet first with leaders of the Religious Zionism-Zehut party at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

He will also sit with representatives from Shas and Yisrael Beyteinu on Wednesday evening.

On Thursday, he will continue his meetings with progressively larger parties.

He will begin with United Torah Judaism at 8:30 a.m., then Otzma Yehudit, the Democrats, Ra’am, the Joint List, and Yachad.

The day will end with evening meeting with the two largest parties, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.