Netanyahu, Gantz to Continue Talks As Time for Forming Government Extended for 48 Hours

This is now the third attempt to form a coalition in Israel, as neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party nor the Blue and White alliance was able to form a coalition government following two inconclusive votes in April and September of last year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Knesset (parliament) speaker Benny Gantz are continuing talks on forming a coalition government, the Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday as Israeli President Reuven Rivlin granted the leader of the Blue and White alliance, a 48-hour extension to form a coalition government, prolonging a mandate that was set to expire at midnight local time on Tuesday [21:00 GMT on Monday].

The talks will be resumed on Tuesday morning.

Both Netanyahu and Gantz have jointly asked President Rivlin to extend the mandate to form a coalition, Haaretz newspaper reported.

Earlier on Monday, Gantz urged premier Netanyahu to form an emergency unity government together.

Netanyahu also invited Gantz on Twitter to join him in a national emergency government “that will save lives and act for the citizens of Israel”.

Benny Gantz, an ex-military chief and current speaker of Israel’s parliament, has failed to form an alliance with his rival Prime Minister Netanyahu over the past three elections.

On 2 March Israel held its third round of parliamentary elections in a year in a bid to resolve the political deadlock. The snap elections’ final count of votes saw Likud in the lead with 36 seats in the 120-seat parliament. Blue and White came in second with 33 mandates.

Sourse: sputniknews.com