In an effort to preempt potential infighting within Likud, right-wing and haredi parties once again pledged their support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, stressing that they would back him even if he ran out of time to form a coalition.
The parties signed the pledge, saying that they would not change their preference even if this makes another early election more likely and even if another Likud MK offers to serve in his place.
The Sept. 17 election ended with a hung parliament, with neither Likud or the center-left Blue and White party getting enough seats to form a government with its ideological allies.
The only realistic option is to form a unity government under some kind of power-sharing deal, but so far negotiations have stalled because Blue and White has been unwilling to have Netanyahu serve as prime minister for the next two years, citing his potential indictment in three corruption cases.
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Netanyahu was tapped by President Reuven Rivlin to form a government last week and he has less than four weeks left to do so. But Netanyahu is unlikely to be able to swear in a government and win a confidence vote on time, meaning that Rivlin will likely tap Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz to do so.
If Gantz fails as well, as is expected, the Knesset will have 21 days to nominate an MK for prime minister and the president will have to tap that person if he or she gets 61 signatures.
Thursday's pledge by right-wing parties means that Netanyahu will likely get another shot at forming a government and prevent other Likud MKs from presenting themselves as alternatives who could break the impasse with Blue and White.
Netanyahu, who fears that Likud MKs will want to replace him, is considering calling a snap election for the Likud chairmanship in order to cement his hold on the party.
Netanyahu's chief rival within Likud is MK Gideon Sa'ar, who said on Thursday that he was ready to compete against the incumbent prime minister if a leadership race in the party.
Shas party leader and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri vowed on Thursday that he would not turn his back on Netanyahu even if it meant another general election.
Deri tweeted: "I said we would support Netanyahu even before the election, and we will continue supporting him even after the presidential mandate is returned during the final 21 days. We cannot disregard the will of one million people who voted for Netanyahu."
