The failure of Israel and Netanyahu to form a government: President Rivlin entrusted the mandate to opposition leader Yair Lapid

The 30 seats won by his party LikudWhich was confirmed as the country’s first political formation, was not enough for the outgoing prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, To form a new government the majority yet The fourth election is in Israel Within two years Is characterized by Political stalemate. The attempt to agree between the outgoing prime minister and the leader of the Yamina formation collapsed yesterday, a month after he was assigned to the exploratory mandate, Naftali Bennett, Which would have allowed an extension Baby To remain at the head of the government for the fifth time in a row. President Reuven Rivlin By this, he decided to assign the leader of the opposition and the Center Party, Yesh Atid, the task of forming the government, Yair Lapid.

The decision of the head of state came, as he himself said, “based on the advice and guidance of the parties, according to which Lapid would get 56 seats next to him.” Insufficient to ensure a majority government, which is possible in Israel only by controlling 61 of the 120 seats. The Knesset. But the challenge for Lapid will be precisely to get approval from the last of the leaders still in the balance to try to form one. A heterogeneous majority. If he can carry out his plan, starting with 17 seats for his party, the anti-Netanyahu coalition may reach a minimum share of 61 seats.

My primary consideration – Rivlin added – was based on who has the highest potential to gain confidence in the Knesset. Lapid has this possibility, whether he is the one who heads the government or another candidate for an executive position where he is the alternative prime minister. ”The president met with both Lapid and a right-wing leader in the morning and then made it clear that the latter was also“ interested in a stable government and did not rule out the Lapid government. ”It remains. To see what are the demands of Bennett, who is playing his part in this election Balance needle This could open the political deadlock, to allow the formation of a new executive body without Netanyahu.

Commenting on the failure of talks with the Likud leader, Bennett clarified yesterday that “Netanyahu’s proposal is incomprehensible. I did not ask for the prime minister, but a government. This is not his.” This is because, he insisted, the religious Zionist party Bezalel Smotrich, A Likud satellite, “burned bridges” for a right-wing government “supported” by the Arab Islamist party Mansour Abbas. “As I always told him – a president urged me to turn right – I am at Netanyahu’s disposal as long as he succeeds in forming a right-wing government.” An executive avoids the fifth election, ‘The most destructive thing’. For this reason, he concluded that if Netanyahu does not succeed in forming a government, we will try to form a government National unity government“.