WATCH: Herzog begins second day of consultations with parties on picking next PM

President Isaac Herzog resumes consultations with the parties elected to the incoming Knesset regarding whom he should task with forming Israel’s next government.

The consultations, which began yesterday evening with the smallest parties — Religious Zionism, Shas, Yisrael Beytenu, and Zehut, are being livestreamed from the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

First up today is United Torah Judaism at 8:45 a.m., followed by Otzma Yehudit at 9:45 a.m.

Herzog will then meet with the Democrats at 11 a.m., followed by Ra’am at 12 p.m., the Joint List at 4:45 p.m., and B’Yachad at 6 p.m.

The day’s talks will be rounded out by Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar at 7:15 p.m. and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud at 8:30 p.m.

Each party will be asked to recommend a candidate for prime minister before Herzog decides which one he should afford the first opportunity to form a coalition.

Under Israeli law, Herzog is tasked with selecting the lawmaker he believes has the best chance of successfully forming a government, not the party with the most seats.

Otzma Yehudit and Likud have said they will recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Yashar, the Democrats, B’Yachad and Ra’am have said they will back Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot.

The four members of UTJ’s Degel HaTorah faction have announced they won’t back either candidate, while its three Agudat Yisrael candidates have not indicated their decision.

The Arab-led Joint List has not declared whom it will support, and may either recommend Eisenkot or abstain.

Watch the livestream of the meetings, in Hebrew, here: