Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Blue and White chief Benny Gantz met on Saturday evening for talks on forming a potential coalition in the event that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unable to form a government, Channel 12 News reported.
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The meeting came against the backdrop of growing pressure on Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich to enter coalition talks with Netanyahu, despite his intention to also reach out to Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas.
Driving the point further, Smotrich said Sunday that he would sooner support a coalition led by Lapid and Yamina leader Naftali Bennett.
Smotrich said Friday that he will not so much as entertain the idea of supporting a government that includes or is even endorsed by an Arab party, saying such a move was akin to "the Right's suicide."
"A fifth election is much preferable to this suicide," he tweeted. "There is an alternative and that's a full right-wing government but instead of making an effort you'd rather embrace terror sympathhizers. And you know what, even a hybrid [government] that I don't think will come to pass and if it does it will last a only a few months is better than the destruction of the Right and Zionism."
The political hawk has reportedly told close associates that if pressuring him to relent was Likud's "only strategy, Netanyahu shouldn't waste any more time – he should give the mandate back to [President Reuven] Rivlin now."
Under Israel law, Netanyahu, who was tasked with forming the government earlier this month, has 28 days to complete his mission, will have to present his coalition by May 4, or Rivlin can decide to task another MK with the issue. As Lapid heads the second-largest faction in parliament, he will most likely be called upon.
If neither Netanyahu nor Lapid can present a 61-MK coalition, the Knesset will dissolve and a general election will be called – Israel's fifth in two years.
According to media reports, Lapid plans to meet with the heads of other parties that have vowed not to join a Netanyahu-led government through the week.
Yesh Atid said that Lapid also plans to deliver a prime-time address on Sunday evening in which he will detail his efforts to create a "broad unity government."
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