With Blue and White party leader Gantz's mandate to form a new government in Israel due to expire at midnight tomorrow (Wednesday), he and outgoing prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu have announced that they will meet at 10 pm tonight at the prime minister's bureau in Jerusalem. Netanyahu is scheduled to hold a meeting beforehand with President Reuven Rivlin at the presidential residence in Jerusalem.
The meeting between Netanyahu and Gantz is thought to have been brokered by Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman, who has been pressing for Blue and White and Likud to join forces in the formation of a unity government, with Yisrael Beitenu as a partner. In the past few days, Netanyahu has conducted a vocal public campaign against the idea of Blue and White forming a minority government with external support from the Joint Arab List, and has probably denied Gantz this option.
This morning, Netanyahu and Liberman met in Jerusalem. At the end of the meeting, Likud and Yisrael Beitenu issued a joint statement saying, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Yisrael Beitenu chairman Avigdor Liberman this morning at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem. The meeting was good and businesslike, and the two will continue the effort to form a unity government."
In other words, at this stage there is no news. Netanyahu is due to go to Gush Etzion following the decision by the US administration to change its stance on the legality of Israeli settlement on the West Bank. He will express gratitude to President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo for the decision.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 19, 2019
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