President’s office to Likud: PM has no chance of forming government alone

In a letter to Likud ministers explaining why President Reuven Rivlin did not task  Benjamin Netanyahu with forming a government, the director of the president’s office, Harel Tubi, says that the prime minister appears unable to do so at the moment.

“In light of the current situation where none of the candidates has the support of the majority of Knesset members, the president does not see the possibility of forming a government, and therefore he passed the government assembly process to the Knesset,” Tubi says.

This morning, Rivlin handed Gantz formal notice that his mandate to form a government was over, after the Blue and White party leader failed to do so by yesterday’s midnight deadline.

The mandate to form a governing coalition is now in the hands of the Knesset. If 61 lawmakers pledge their support for a fellow MK to form a government over the next 21 days, that person will be tasked with doing so. If not, the country goes to the polls once again.

— Raoul Wootliff