Rivlin about to announce whom he’s tasking to try to form a government

President Reuven Rivlin is set to announce in the next few minutes whom he is tasking with trying to cobble together Israel’s next coalition government.

Rivlin held consultations through the day yesterday with representatives of all 13 parties that won seats in the Knesset in the March 23 elections, hearing their recommendations for whom he should task with forming a government.

Members of the Likud party meet with President Reuven Rivlin at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem on April 5, 2021, as Rivlin began consulting political leaders to decide who to task with trying to form a new government (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

At day’s end, Likud leader and incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been endorsed by 52 MKs (Likud 30; Shas 9; United Torah Judaism 7; Religious Zionism 6).

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid was recommended as prime minister by 45 MKs (Yesh Atid 17, Blue and White 8, Yisrael Beytenu 7, Labor 7, Meretz 6), and Naftali Bennett by the seven members of his own Yamina party. Three parties made no recommendation (New Hope 6, Joint List 6 and Ra’am 4).