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.
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In a dramatic turn of events, the Joint Arab List sent a letter to Rivlin requesting to withhold three of its 13 votes of recommendation for prime minister, at the request of the anti-Zionist Balad party, one of the components of the Joint List.
"Over the night, it was apparent that three of the Gantz recommendations renounced their support, and indeed, the chairman of the Joint List alliance confirmed to us that this is their request and that his faction accepts it," Rivlin said.
Consequently, with the Joint Arab List casting 10 votes for Benny Gantz instead of 13, Netanyahu is set to have a total of 55 recommendations to Gantz's likely 54.
Yamina Chairwoman Ayelet Shaked told the president that "a type of unity government is necessary, without boycotts. Netanyahu and Gantz would do well to talk to one another."
However, she added, "If you task Gantz with forming the next government, we won't hold negotiations with him."
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.
