Israel’s President Isaac Herzog has called on political parties to reconsider their previous positions following the Knesset election of October 27 and to work together toward a solution for forming a government. At a state memorial ceremony for Israel’s first president Chaim Weizmann on Sunday in Rehovot, Herzog announced that he would begin consultations with the elected Knesset factions this week.
On the coming Wednesday, November 4, he will receive the official election results from the chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Deputy President of the Supreme Court Noam Sohlberg. The consultations at the President’s Residence are then set to begin.
“The doors of the President’s Residence will be wide open to all factions and parties,” Herzog declared.
The president appealed to party representatives to come to the talks not only with openness, but also with a willingness for mutual understanding.
“I have already said that I hope the representatives will come with an open mind. Today I add: with an open heart,” said Herzog. Politicians should be prepared to listen to one another, exchange ideas and find creative solutions to prevent another round of elections.
Herzog noted that politicians frequently take far-reaching positions during an election campaign. However, a different attitude must prevail after the election.
“The elections are over. The election results are a fact. They are reality,” the president emphasized. Now it is time for political leaders to reconsider their previous positions and face this reality.
Herzog reached for a vivid metaphor: during the election campaign, candidates had climbed up to elevated positions. Now, at the President’s Residence, they wanted to set up ladders, so to speak, so that political leaders could come back down and face political reality in a measured and careful manner.
The upcoming consultations represent the next step on the path toward forming a new Israeli government. During these talks, the president listens to the recommendations of the Knesset factions. He then decides which member of the Knesset to task with forming a government.
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