Israel’s President has tasked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with forming a unity government, signalling the probable end of more than a year of political deadlock.
“A letter assigning the task of forming a government to Benjamin Netanyahu was just sent to the Prime Minister’s office,” the government said on Thursday.
“The office of the Speaker of the Knesset was also informed.”
The veteran Prime Minister now has 14 days to seal the details of the coalition accord and sign his partners up to ground rules spelling out policy. Failure would mean a fourth election, a presidential spokesman said, after three inconclusive polls in a year.
Earlier on Thursday, Knesset members voted for the deal between Israel’s longest-serving leader and his erstwhile rival Benny Gantz, then called on President Reuven Rivlin to mandate Mr Netanyahu to form the government.
Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute think tank, said Mr Gantz and Mr Netanyahu had “zero trust” in one another. “This is probably the main characteristic of this political agreement,” he said. “Therefore a new regime was created whereby we have two prime ministers, both with veto power.”
Under the accord the rightwing Prime Minister shares power with Mr Gantz, a centrist former military chief. The two plan to swear in their new administration next Wednesday, with Mr Netanyahu remaining leader for 18 months before handing over to Mr Gantz. While each man is in power, the other will serve as alternate prime minister, a newly created position.
Read the article in The Australian (AFP).