Eisenkot clears the threshold: 67 lawmakers recommend him for prime minister, Netanyahu stuck at 46

Yashar! leader Gadi Eisenkot has received recommendations from 67 lawmakers, more than the 61 needed for a Knesset majority, the Times of Israel reports. He was backed by a 48-member bloc (Yashar!, the Democrats, B'Yachad and Yisrael Beytenu), Ra'am with eight seats and the Joint List with 11.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was left with 46 recommendations after United Torah Judaism's seven lawmakers abstained, following directives from the spiritual leaders of Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael over the dispute on exempting yeshiva students from military service.

Support from outside

The Joint List said its decision was unanimous and that "it is important to widen the gap between them", but that it will not formally join Eisenkot's coalition and may support it from outside. Shas's Rabbi Moshe Maya called for a rotation government with Netanyahu.