Tel Aviv – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, Benny Gantz, on Tuesday met to continue trying to form a national emergency government ahead of a looming deadline.
According to Gantz’s spokesperson, both sides resumed negotiations after talks that went into the early hours of Tuesday produced significant progress, currently holds the mandate to try his hand at forming a government.
His mandate was to run out at midnight (2100 GMT) on Monday, but President Reuven Rivlin extended the deadline to Wednesday.
Rivlin, who originally said he would not extend the mandate, reversed course after the request for an extension was brought with the support of both sides with the understanding that they were very close to reaching an agreement.
Meanwhile, the two rivals had accelerated efforts to form an emergency unity government to cope with the coronavirus outbreak and economic crisis.
Israel has been led by a caretaker government under Netanyahu since the end of 2018. After the country’s third election within the span of one year on March 2, neither side won a parliamentary majority.
Gantz received the mandate to form the government after receiving the backing of other lawmakers, but his efforts to form a coalition with Netanyahu, who is facing corruption charges, broke up his alliance.
Gantz and his centrist Blue and White had repeatedly promised during elections that they would not sit in government with Netanyahu.
However, Gantz reversed course in March, saying that he would put all his efforts into building a coalition government with Netanyahu in light of the coronavirus crisis, and to avoid a fourth election.
According to media reports, one of the main sticking points is the demand by Netanyahu’s Likud party for veto rights on judicial appointments.
Netanyahu also wants a guarantee that the Supreme Court will not deny him the Prime Minister role due to his corruption charges.
Netanyahu is charged with offering political favours to media moguls and wealthy businessmen in return for positive media coverage and expensive gifts, an allegation he denied.
However, his trial would commence in May, having being postponed due to the coronavirus.
“If talks stall once again, I will hand the task of building a government over to the parliament, or Knesset.
“In that instance, any lawmaker, including Gantz and Netanyahu, who manages to gain the support of 61 others in the 120-seat Knesset within 21 days will be given two weeks to try to form a government.
“If that fails, Israel will hold its fourth election since April 2019,“Rivlin said.
(dpa/NAN)
