Knesset freezes votes for nearly a week, buying Netanyahu time to swear in coalition

Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin announces that the Knesset will halt plenum activity until Monday, effectively buying prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu more time to finalize legislation before swearing in his coalition.

Netanyahu has less than two days left to announce to President Isaac Herzog that he has put together a government. While he will still need to inform the president that he has formed the government by tomorrow night, the Knesset freeze — reportedly agreed to by the incoming opposition and coalition — will mean Netanyahu will not have to swear it in for almost two more weeks.

Netanyahu is granted seven days from the time the coalition is presented to the full Knesset plenum in order to swear in the government. If the plenum is closed, the coalition will not be presented until it reopens next week.

His political partners have demanded several legislative changes as conditions for joining the government, which have yet to be completed in the Knesset. A plenum closure will give Netanyahu a few more days to apply legislative pressure.