General Benny Gantz’ 28-day mandate to form a governing coalition with Benjamin Netanyahu ends Monday without any progress achieved, according to Israeli media reports.
A Channel 12 report said that the possible scenarios for forming a new Israeli government seem difficult as Gantz will most likely be unable to meet the deadline and announce a cabinet.
The Channel indicated that this complicates the situation for the Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin, who began considering other scenarios following the failure to form a government.
For a second time in a year, Gantz has failed to form a government, just as Netanyahu failed before him during the same period.
Rivlin faces an unprecedented situation and can grant Gantz a 14 days extension if he requests that along with Netanyahu to proceed with the negotiations period between them to form a joint government.
The report suggests that if there was no extension and Gantz and Netanyahu couldn’t agree, the President might move to delegating the Knesset. The majority of the Knesset members will then choose another person to form the next government within 21 days.
However, this may cause greater disputes and lead to a fourth election, which will be complicated in light of the spread of the Coronavirus.
The coalition negotiations between the Likud, led by Netanyahu, and Blue White, headed by Gantz, were resumed on Friday, and it was decided that the official teams will return to the negotiations table to discuss details, with the aim of ending the political crisis and forming a unity government.
Political sources said that Netanyahu believes that polls give him a clear advantage over Gantz and all other opponents, in the event of a fourth election.
Surveys also indicate that Netanyahu will be able to form a right-wing government with a majority of 64 of the 120 members of the Knesset, and he may not need Gantz or others.
The number prompted Netanyahu to withdraw from his agreement with Gantz over the weekend, and call for new demands.
But, sources close to Netanyahu said he is very serious in forming a unity government with Gantz, and they infer that he argued with defense minister Naftali Bennett over some issues.
Last year, both Gantz and Netanyahu won almost equal numbers of seats in the Knesset during the three rounds of elections and neither was able to form a government, which led to a deep political crisis.
Gantz refused to join the power-sharing government last September, insisting he wouldn't be part of a government headed by corrupt Netanyahu, but he later retreated and began negotiations.
