Likud, Blue and White coalition talks resume

Teams from Likud and Blue and White are currently meeting in Jerusalem to try to break the deadlock over negotiations for a national unity government, the two sides say in a joint statement.

With Blue and White leader Benny Gantz’s mandate to form a government expiring at midnight tonight, a failure to reach an accord will end with President Reuven Rivlin giving the mandate over to the Knesset for three weeks and increase the likelihood that Israel will go to elections for a fourth time.

Channel 12 reports Blue and White sources as saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is setting “impossible demands.” Expectations are not high says a Channel 12 political analyst.