Netanyahu, Gantz spoke by phone about unity government — reports

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz spoke by phone this morning about forming an emergency unity government, Hebrew media reports say.

According to the Haaretz daily, it was the second time the two have spoken since the March 2 elections.

The two ordered their negotiating teams to meet tomorrow for talks on an emergency government, the Kan public broadcaster says.

It was unclear if the phone call took place before or after Yuli Edelstein, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, resigned as Knesset speaker rather than obey a High Court order to call a vote to elect a new speaker.

Likud had threatened that unity talks would be scrapped if Blue and White continued with its push to elect a new speaker, but Netanyahu again called for unity during a press conference this evening.