President Reuven Rivlin has tasked Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid with forming a government after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to do so in the 28 days allocated to him.
Rivlin said, "I spoke with Bennett and Lapid and it was made clear to me that Bennett remains with seven recommendations while Lapid has 11 more recommendations and now has 56. MK Mansour Abbas wrote to me that he would cooperate with the person who received the most recommendations. Bennett made it clear to me that he would not rule out the option of setting up a government with Yair Lapid. Due to the movement of recommendations to Lapid, he has the best chance of forming a government which could win a Knesset vote of confidence. Returning the mandate to the Knesset in this situation would be a violation of the law."
As part of my powers, I have informed Lapid that I have granted him the task of forming a government in which he might head of or serve as alternate prime minister.
Lapid, who has 28 days to form a government, said, "After two years of continuing political nightmare, Israeli society is wounded. A national unity government is not a compromise, it is the goal. We must set up a government that reflects the fact that we do not hate each other, and in which right and left and center work together to cope with the economic and security challenges."
Netanyahu reacted to the latest developments and said, "Naftali Bennett spoke today about a government of national unity but this is an attempt to deceive the public. Everybody knows that he is seeking to set up a dangerous left wing government."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on May 5, 2021
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