Hyderabad, Nov. 5 -- Israel's ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party has refused to recommend either Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot for the post of prime minister and to lead the next government.

The decision comes as Israeli President Isaac Herzog conducts the second and final day of consultations with political parties to determine which lawmaker should receive the mandate to form a government following the October 27 Knesset elections.

UTJ representatives conveyed their decision to Herzog at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on Thursday, November 5. Lawmaker Yitzhak Pindrus told the president that protecting Torah students was the party's first priority, ahead of establishing a gove...