Likud members asked if they support government led for 1st year by Yariv Levin

Thousands of members of the Likud party’s central committee have received a text message asking them if they would support forming a government headed for the first year by current Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin, with Benjamin Netanyahu as alternate prime minister.

It isn’t immediately clear whether the message was sent by actual Likud officials, but it appears to be the latest in a series of increasingly desperate attempts by Netanyahu and his party to cobble together a coalition.

New Hope party leader Gideon Sa’ar has said he is willing to join a coalition with Likud, but only if it isn’t headed by Netanyahu. After Ra’am party leader Mansour Abbas supported the opposition in a key vote, it appears Sa’ar’s support is critical to forming a Likud-led government.