Jerusalem (AFP) - Gadi Eisenkot emerged on Thursday as the favourite to be tasked with trying to form an Israeli government as a religious party long aligned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to recommend him.

President Isaac Herzog was holding a second day of consultations with political parties after the October 27 election, in which neither Netanyahu – a polarising right-winger who has led Israel through three years of war – nor Eisenkot – a former military chief promising to restore national unity – secured enough votes for a majority.

Herzog will choose by himself whom to ask to form a new government but traditionally the mandate is given to the person recommended by more parties, which would be Eisenkot.

The opposition leader also received a recommendation from a key lawmaker from the Israeli-Arab minority, whose seats in parliament soared due to outrage over Netanyahu’s policies, even as Eisenkot has remained unclear on whether he would accept Arab support to form a government.

United Torah Judaism, which backed Netanyahu after the previous five elections, in its meeting with Herzog declined to recommend Netanyahu again as prime minister, although it also did not side with Eisenkot.

The party informed Herzog “that it has decided not to recommend any member of Knesset to form a government,” the president’s office said in a statement, referring to the 120-member parliament in which United Torah Judaism has won seven seats.

The party – which represents ultra-Orthodox Jews of Ashkenazi origin, who mostly hail from or have roots in Europe – as well as Shas – which represents the same community but of Sephardic, or mostly Middle Eastern and North African descent – have both been backed by Netanyahu as they push to maintain the exemption from military service for religious students.

Netanyahu has preserved the exemption but stopped short of enshrining it in law, in the face of major resentment from many other Israelis as reservists serve multiple tours due to the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

“In whatever government is next formed, our immediate item is sorting out the status of Torah students,” United Torah Judaism lawmaker Isaac Pindrus said.

Eisenkot, who has tried to appeal to secular Israelis from left to right, has been adamant about closing exemptions to military service.

Some of his opposition allies have criticised the ultra-Orthodox, who make up about 14 percent of the population but have far higher birthrates than secular Israelis, as a drain on the state.

Observers say United Torah Judaism’s tactic is likely aimed mostly at punishing Netanyahu and showing that their votes cannot be taken for granted, while they would still serve in a government if he were to form one.

- Arab-Israelis play key role -

Once Herzog gives his mandate to a lawmaker, the person – presumably either Eisenkot or Netanyahu – will have 28 days to form a government, with a potential 14-day extension. If the lawmaker fails, Herzog will then task someone else.

Netanyahu’s bloc – including United Torah Judaism – has 53 seats in the new parliament, as opposed to 48 for Eisenkot’s bloc.

The Raam list of Mansour Abbas, a key Arab-Israeli lawmaker who in the latest election for the first time also tapped a Jewish candidate, also told Herzog it recommended Eisenkot.

Arab-majority lists jumped to 19 seats, on the back of anger over Netanyahu’s hard-right government whose ministers have vowed to treat the Israeli citizens much like Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Eisenkot could form a government with the Arab parties’ numbers but would risk losing support from some in the opposition, notably Avigdor Liberman, a former Netanyahu aide turned outspoken critic of him who nonetheless shares the outgoing government’s hawkish views on the Palestinians.

Netanyahu has relentlessly attacked the opposition for even the prospect of an alliance with Arab lawmakers. In a video Wednesday filmed in the prime minister’s office, Netanyahu alleged there were “serious suspicions” that foreign powers put money into the election and questioned the loyalty of Arab citizens.