Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party has so far secured 48 party recommendations to form Israel’s next government, against 46 for Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the Jerusalem Post, with consultations with President Isaac Herzog set for Wednesday and Thursday.

The ultra-Orthodox Shas party and two far-right parties said on Tuesday they would recommend Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, against 48 for the opposition and 19 for Arab parties, leaving neither side with the 61-seat majority needed to govern. Opposition leaders agreed to recommend Eisenkot and begin negotiations on policy guidelines and coalition agreements. Arab parties have not yet confirmed their recommendations.