Bibi in Line to Form Next Government

Stand for Israel  |  September 23, 2019

The Israeli government continued to work toward creating its next government after last week’s elections, with the various political parties consulting with President Reuven Rivlin, who will task one candidate with forming a coalition. Israel Hayom reports that Benjamin Netanyahu has taken the lead, 55 seats to 54, and seems to be in line to do so:

In the second day of meetings with party leaders, President Reuven Rivlin sat down with representatives from Yamina and United Torah Judaism on Monday, who backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form the next government.

Netanyahu is currently positioned first in the attempt to form the next government after the Balad party pulled its support for Blue and White leader Benny Gantz overnight Sunday…

The president’s post-election talks are usually a formality, but the largely ceremonial president is now playing a key role after an almost tied election result. He is expected to announce his choice Wednesday.

“There is one thing that the people are largely united over and that is the desire that there won’t be third elections,” Rivlin said.

Neither party can form a coalition without the eight seats won by former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who on Sunday declined to endorse either candidate for prime minister. Lieberman has pushed Gantz and Netanyahu to agree to sit with him in a broad, secular unity government, and both have agreed in theory but disagree over who should head it.