Shea Levin — text status

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party announced Tuesday that it will recommend Prime Minister Netanyahu to President Isaac Herzog to form Israel's next government. The party noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu heads both the largest party and the largest bloc in the 26th Knesset. The party will also call on the left to lift its political boycotts and work toward a broad Jewish government led by Prime Minister Netanyahu. Religious Zionism will be the first faction to meet Herzog when his consultations open Wednesday, with the Likud closing the round Thursday.