Israeli President Gives Netanyahu Until May 6 to Form Government
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Version 0 of 1. JERUSALEM — Israel’s president on Monday gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an extension until May 6 to form a new government, as negotiations continued among various political parties. President Reuven Rivlin had assigned Mr. Netanyahu to form a coalition after the March 17 elections, when 67 Parliament members from six right-leaning parties recommended that he continue as prime minister. It is not unusual for an Israeli leader to request an extension and use the full 42 days provided under the law to form a coalition, as negotiators use the ticking clock to increase their leverage. Mr. Netanyahu told Mr. Rivlin that he had “made progress” but required “additional time in order for the government to be stable and so that we might reach agreement on important issues that will aid us in meeting the challenges facing the state of Israel.” Some Israeli commentators have suggested that stalemated negotiations with the conservative parties could yet lead to the formation of a national-unity government led by Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party with the center-left Zionist Union. The head of that party, Isaac Herzog, said over the weekend, however, that was not in the cards. “Our place is in the opposition,” Mr. Herzog said Saturday. “As far I’m concerned, the opposition is not a default option — the opposition is a preference.” The Israeli news media has reported that Likud, which won 30 of Parliament’s 120 seats, is close to making deals with two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, and with Kulanu, a new center-right faction whose leader, Moshe Kahlon, is expected to become finance minister. Those three parties control a total of 23 seats. Fourteen more seats are held by Jewish Home and Yisrael Beiteinu, whose leaders, Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman, have been angling for the high-profile posts of defense and foreign minister. The Zionist Union has 24 seats, but if Mr. Herzog were to change course and join Mr. Netanyahu’s government, it might break apart. Mr. Rivlin, who called for a unity government after the elections, on Monday wished Mr. Netanyahu success and urged him to act quickly. “The entire people of Israel hope that a government will be established,” Mr. Rivlin said in a joint appearance after the two leaders met privately for half an hour. “I hope that in the coming days you will succeed in forming a stable government for the state of Israel.” |