Gantz tells Rivlin he’ll likely request extension of mandate to form government

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz will likely seek an extension of his mandate to form a government, which will expire over the Passover holiday.

He informed President Reuven Rivlin of this in a phone call between the two, Blue and White says in a statement.

Rivlin said he would consider this in light of the circumstances when the April 13 deadline gets closer, according to the statement.

Blue and White says Gantz also updated Rivlin on the talks to form “an emergency government and national unity.”

Gantz’s party has been holding coalition talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud on forming a government in which the two would rotate as premier, with Netanyahu serving first. The negotiations picked up after Gantz was elected Knesset speaker with the backing of Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc, causing Blue and White to split.

The move appears to be aimed at maintaining some leverage in coalition talks, as under Israeli law, the Knesset member tasked by the president with forming a government is the one who heads it.