President Reuven Rivlin invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz to his residence on Monday in an effort to sway the leaders of the two largest Knesset factions to form a unity government and end the political gridlock that has emerged from the Sept. 17 election.
Netanyahu accepted the president's invitation immediately. About an hour later, Gantz said he would also attend.
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Under Israeli law, following a general election, the president must tap an MK to form a new government. The president must choose the MK who has the best chance of winning a confidence vote in the Knesset plenum.
In the Sept. 17 election, Blue and White and its allies got 57 seats, whereas Likud and its allies got 55. Yisrael Beytenu, which has remained uncommitted to any particular bloc, got 8 seats, essentially holding the balance of power.
On Monday, after Rivlin completed his consultations with Knesset members, it transpired that more MKs had recommended Netanyahu as the next prime minister. But despite this apparent victory, Rivlin has not designated Netanyahu as the next prime minister because Yisrael Beytenu could still deny him the votes in the Knesset if it partnered with Gantz or abstained.
Netanyahu sounded an upbeat note after it emerged that he had won the most support among MKs and could be tapped to form a government.
He called on Gantz to join him in a unity government, despite the Blue and White leader saying he would not sit with Netanyahu so long as he was facing three potential indictments on corruption charges.
"A wide unity government is the only feasible option," Netanyahu said."Let's have a frank discussion. We wanted to form a right-wing government but this was not within our reach," he said. "But Gantz also failed to win enough seats, so a unity government is the only option. We must resolve this impasse by meeting and talking, with an outstretched hand of reconciliation that would best-serve our nation."
