Yisrael Beytenu leader MK Avigdor Liberman told President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday that his party was recommending Blue and White leader MK Benny Gantz be given the mandate to form a government.
Liberman’s recommendation, which meant the backing of 7 MKs, means that Gantz now has 61 MKs backing him to get the first opportunity to establish a new government.
It is likely Rivlin will indeed give the mandate to Gantz first, and the president said after his consultation with Liberman that “the math is clear,” although he noted that himself talked of the importance of a unity government.
Rivlin said he would meet with Netanyahu and Gantz before making his decision, which must come by Tuesday. He then summoned both men to a special emergency meeting to be held on Sunday evening.
Gantz does not have a clear path to forming a government since several MKs in his own party oppose forming a minority government backed by the Joint List of Arab parties, which is the Blue and White’s only option for a narrow, center-left coalition.
Joint List offered Gantz its support when meeting Rivlin, giving him the backing of its 15 seats in Knesset. Gantz also got the backing of 7 MKs from Labor-Gesher-Meretz union, without the seat currently held by Gesher, and his own 33 seats in parliament.
Joint List offered Gantz its support when meeting Rivlin, giving him the backing of its 15 seats in Knesset. Gantz also got the backing of 7 MKs from Labor-Gesher-Meretz union, without the seat currently held by Gesher, and his own 33 seats in parliament.
Blue and White is likely however to press ahead with efforts to remove current Knesset speaker Likud MK Yuli Edelstein and vote in its own candidate Meir Cohen.
This will give Blue and White vital control over the formation of Knesset committees and numerous procedural matters in the legislature.
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