Rivlin: I will do all I can to prevent new elections for Israel - watch

"If the government is not formed by midnight tonight I have two options and I must take one of them within three days."

By TZVI JOFFRE
PRESIDENT REUVEN Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu face off at the President’s residence in Jerusalem on Wednesday night (photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)
PRESIDENT REUVEN Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu face off at the President’s residence in Jerusalem on Wednesday night
(photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)
"I, for my part, will do everything in my power to prevent the State of Israel from going to another election campaign," President Reuven Rivlin said in a video on his Facebook page Wednesday, explaining his role in the ongoing struggle to form a government which will end at midnight on if no agreement is reached.
"If the government is not formed by midnight tonight I have two options and I must take one of them within three days," Rivlin said.
President Reuven Rivlin’s statement on elections, Wednesday, May 29, 2019
The first option Rivlin explained in the video is to place the responsibility for forming a government on another member of Knesset. The member of Knesset who was already given an opportunity to form a government, meaning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, could not be given a second chance by Rivlin to form the government in this case.
The second option in Rivlin's hands is to notify the speaker of Knesset that "there is no possibility of forming a government and that there is no alternative to calling elections."
In order to decide between the two options, Rivlin would invite representatives of all the factions to discuss the matter.
Rivlin did explain an additional option which could occur if he chooses to recommends elections.
"Incidentally, you should know that if I inform the Knesset Speaker that I do not believe another Knesset member could form a government Knesset members can collect 61 signatures and request that any one of the 120 members of Knesset, including those who have already had the opportunity, be given the mandate to form a government," Rivlin said.
"You are probably wondering how this relates to what is going on at the moment in the Knesset," Rivlin stated in the video. "Well, It doesn't.
"Parallel to my authority as president the Knesset can enact a law to disperse the Knesset," Rivlin said. This would occur if a majority of the Knesset passes the second and third reading of the law. In this case the Knesset would dissolve and "unfortunately we will go to another election campaign," Rivlin explained.
The vote on the law to dissolve the government will occur on Wednesday night, a little before midnight.