Opposition leader Yair Lapid handed mandate to form government

Rivlin said he based his decision on the fact that Lapid has the most members of the Knesset recommending that he be given the mandate, a total of 56.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday evening tapped Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party, to form a government.

Lapid’s center-Left party controls 17 seats in the Knesset, the second-largest party in the Knesset. The Likud has the most with 30. Lapid will have 28 days in which to cobble together a coalition.

He was given the mandate after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to produce a government before his own 28-day mandate expired at the end of the day on Tuesday.

“Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed me that he had not been able to form a government, so he returned the mandate to me,” Rivlin said.

Rivlin said he based his decision on the fact that Lapid has the most members of the Knesset recommending that he be given the mandate, a total of 56.

The parties that recommended Lapid were his own Yesh Atid party (17), Blue and White (8), New Hope (6), Israel Beiteinu (7), Meretz (6) and Labor (7). He also received recommendations from five out of six Joint List members. One member representing the Balad party in the Arab faction refused its support.

Although 56 is still short of the minimum 61 seats necessary to form a government in the 120-seat Knesset, Lapid’s chances of success are possible as he has already agreed to concede the prime minister’s chair in a rotational leadership with Bennett.

In a press conference prior to Rivlin’s announcement, Bennett strongly suggested he would support a unity government.

“There are two options: to be dragged to a fifth, sixth and seventh election that will simply destroy the country, or to establish a broad emergency government, although it would be challenging, but one that will be able to get the wagon unstuck from the mud,” he said.

However, he also said he would not concede on right-wing values and principles, something that would be a challenge in a government whose majority is made up of left-wing parties.