ByGIL HOFFMAN
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett intend to engage in marathon talks to form a unity government beginning Thursday after President Reuven Rivlin announced Wednesday night that he is entrusting Lapid with the second mandate to form a government.

Lapid and Bennett wanted to form a government as soon as possible and believe it can be done within a week. They expressed concern that if they did not hurry, their efforts could be harmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose mandate ended Tuesday night without a coalition being formed and who is trying to sabotage the formation of a government that would replace him.

Yamina MKs are under pressure to oppose a unity government, following the lead of MK Amichai Chikli, who announced his opposition on Wednesday morning. Netanyahu vowed that more MKs would join him.


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Lapid will have 28 days to build a coalition, concluding on June 2. He intends to form a government in which Bennett goes first in a rotation with him in the Prime Minister’s Office, but he has not ruled out a coalition without Yamina.

“The main consideration that Israeli presidents must weigh when arriving at the decision of who to entrust with forming a government is who has the best chance of forming a government that will have the confidence of the new Knesset,” Rivlin said.


“From the number of recommendations, it is clear that MK Yair Lapid could form a government that has the confidence of the Knesset, despite there being many difficulties.”


Lapid pledged to do everything to ensure that an Israeli unity government will be formed as soon as possible.


“After two years of political paralysis, Israeli society is hurting,” he said. A unity government isn’t a compromise or a last resort - it’s a goal, it’s what we need. We need a government that will reflect the fact that we don’t hate one another. A government in which Left, Right and Center will work together to tackle the economic and security challenges we face; a government that will show that our differences are a source of strength, not weakness.”




RIVLIN MET with Lapid and Bennett at the President’s Residence earlier Wednesday. At Rivlin’s request, the rest of the party leaders submitted their recommendations for the second mandate. Lapid received recommendations from 56 MKs and Bennett from only his party’s seven MKs.


Netanyahu called on Bennett to not form a government with Lapid. He accused him of misleading the public due to his personal ambitions.


“What Bennett wants to form is a dangerous left-wing government,” Netanyahu warned. “Bennett is breaking promise after promise.”


Sources in the Likud revealed that there had been contacts with Bennett about having the Likud and its satellite parties recommend him to form a government in return for a signed commitment to work for the establishment of a right-wing government. The Likud blamed Bennett for not accepting the deal.



“What Bennett wants to form is a dangerous left-wing government,” Netanyahu warned. “Bennett is breaking promise after promise.”


Sources in the Likud revealed that there had been contacts with Bennett about having the Likud and its satellite parties recommend him to form a government in return for a signed commitment to work for the establishment of a right-wing government. The Likud blamed Bennett for not accepting the deal.


"Bennett has been playing both sides and no one can believe a word that comes out of his mouth," a source in Likud said.


Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett arrives at the President's Residence
Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett arrives at the President's Residence (Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)















Opposition leader and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid arrives at the President's Residence
Opposition leader and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid arrives at the President's Residence (Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)












Idan Zonshine contributed to this report.