President to grant Netanyahu mandate to form government

The Likud chief receives 64 recommendations as coalition negotiations continue.

By World Israel News Staff

President Isaac Herzog will hand Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu the mandate to form a government on Sunday, after having held consultations with representatives of all political parties, his office announced on Friday.

64 MKs from Netanyahu’s bloc (Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism and Religious Zionism) recommended him for prime minister, while 28 MKs from Yesh Atid and Labor recommended current Prime Minister Yair Lapid. 28 MKs from National Unity, Yisrael Beiteinu, Ra’am and Hadash-Ta’al, did not recommended anyone.

At the end of the meetings, which began on Wednesday and ended on Friday morning, Netanyahu was invited to the President’s Residence.

After receiving the official mandate on Sunday, Netanyahu will have 28 days to form a government. A 14-day extension can be granted by the president if needed.

Netanyahu, however, is keen to form a government as soon as possible, and intense coalition negotiations are already in the works. According to reports, he hopes to form a coalition by Nov. 15, the date of the swearing-in of the new parliament.

Lapid invited the party heads that will comprise the opposition to a meeting early next week, with the notable exception of the Arab majority Hadash-Ta’al party.