Day passes with no coalition talks

Blue and White said agreements were reached on every dispute, including portfolios, the judicial selection committee and how to implement US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan.

By GIL HOFFMAN
Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz (photo credit: REUTERS)
Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz
(photo credit: REUTERS)
A day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz completed an agreement on a new government but Netanyahu backtracked, no coalition talks took place on Tuesday.
Blue and White said agreements were reached on every dispute, including portfolios, the judicial selection committee and how to implement US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan. But then Netanyahu back down from his compromises about not controlling the judicial selection committee.
Sources in Blue and White said Netanyahu’s main aim has been to prevent former State’s Attorney Shai Nitzan, who recommended Netanyahu’s indictments, from becoming a Supreme Court judge.
Since Blue and White left the Prime Minister’s Office in anger after that on Monday evening, the two sides did not meet and did not even talk by video conference, sources in the parties said.
The plan calls for Netanyahu to serve as prime minister for the first year and a half and then Gantz for a year and a half. Both would be sworn in as prime minister when the government is formed. Legislation must be passed in order to enable that precedent. 
Gantz wrote MKs and Knesset staff that like every year, the building would be closed during Passover. But he added that if there is a need for the Knesset plenum and committees to convene, he would reopen the building.
“We are in a unique situation, and therefore, if there is a need, we will reconvene for any urgent and essential needs,” Gantz wrote.
The statement was seen as either referring to passing an agreement on a new government before Gantz’s mandate runs out on April 13 or passing anti-Netanyahu legislation to protest the prime minister upping his demands in coalition talks.
Such potential laws include limiting a prime minister to two terms and preventing an indicted MK from forming a government. There is a majority of 61 MKs for passing the bills.
President Reuven Rivlin will decide next week whether to accept Gantz's request to extend his mandate to form a government by two weeks.