President Reuven Rivlin hands Knesset Speaker Benny Gantz the formal notice that his mandate to form a government is over, after the Blue and White party leader failed to do so by yesterday’s midnight deadline.
For only the second time in Israel’s history, the mandate to form a governing coalition is now in the hands of the Knesset. If 61 lawmakers sign 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.
“I hope that the Knesset members will be able to form a majority in such a way that a government can be formed as soon as possible, to prevent a fourth round of elections,” Rivlin wrote.
Negotiating teams for Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud continued their talks to form a unity government late yesterday night and into the early hours of this morning, and agreed to meet again later today, even as the latter’s presidential mandate to form a coalition expired at midnight.
Passing the mandate the the Knesset essentially gives Netanyahu and Gantz three more weeks to seal a deal, or theoretically opens the door to other coalition possibilities.
— Raoul Wootliff
It's not (only) about you.
Supporting The Times of Israel isn’t a transaction for an online service, like subscribing to Netflix. The ToI Community is for people like you who care about a common good: ensuring that balanced, responsible coverage of Israel continues to be available to millions across the world, for free.
Sure, we'll remove all ads from your page and you'll gain access to some amazing Community-only content. But your support gives you something more profound than that: the pride of joining something that really matters.
Join the Times of Israel Community
Join our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
comments