Jerusalem, 3 November, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Tuesday morning with United Torah Judaism (UTJ) Chairman Yaakov Asher for the first time since the election, amid coalition negotiations and uncertainty over the party’s recommendation for prime minister to President Isaac Herzog.
Asher told Netanyahu that UTJ had not yet decided whom to recommend, explaining that the faction was awaiting the return of leading Torah sages from an overseas fundraising trip for the Torah world. A decision is expected after their return.
Netanyahu, for his part, pledged to Asher that he was committed to completing legislation regulating Haredi military service exemptions, a central issue in negotiations with the Haredi parties.
The prime minister also stressed the need to prevent the formation of a left-wing government supported by parties that back terrorism, underscoring the political stakes of UTJ’s eventual recommendation as efforts to assemble a governing coalition continue.
