JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will announce on Tuesday his nomination of the leader who will be entrusted to form a government following last month’s inconclusive elections.
Israel’s presidency is largely a ceremonial office. But after national elections, the president is responsible for selecting the leader of the party with the best chance of forming a government to put together a majority coalition in Israel’s 120-seat parliament or “Knesset.” He makes his selection based on consultations with all 13 incoming political parties, during which each party tells him who they recommend as their preferred candidate.
Once a candidate is chosen, he will have 28 days to negotiate with the other parties to gain their loyalty and form a stable government coalition. If the candidate fails, Rivlin may select another to do so.
“The main consideration that will guide me is entrusting a Knesset Member with the task who has the best chance of forming a government that will have the confidence of the new Knesset,” Rivlin said on Monday. “This is how all previous Israeli presidents have acted, this is how I acted in previous elections and this is how I will act now.”
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The president’s selection of the candidate to form a government is usually a straightforward one, given to the leader with the largest political party. But after four elections in the span of two years and a crippling political stalemate, Rivlin faces a difficult task.
After consultations with representatives of Israel’s political parties, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received the most recommendations, but he is still short of the support he needs to form a majority coalition.
Netanyahu was endorsed by his usual right-wing allies, including his Likud party, with 30 seats, Shas, with 9, United Torah Judaism, 7, and Religious Zionism, 6.
Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, was endorsed by parties from Israel’s political right, left and center, but he also does not have enough support to form a majority coalition.
Naftali Bennett of the right-wing Yamina party was labeled by some as a potential kingmaker. But instead of supporting Lapid or Netanyahu, he recommended himself as the candidate to be entrusted with forming a government. No other party recommended him.
The Islamic Ra’am party, also considered a potential kingmaker, abstained from choosing a candidate. So did Netanyahu ally-turned-foe Gidon Saar, leader of the right-wing New Hope party.
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Rivlin’s consultations with party leaders on Monday coincided when Netanyahu made his third appearance in court for his ongoing corruption trial. The prime minister is charged with fraud, breach of trust, and bribery in three separate cases. He denies the allegations and claims he is the victim of a “witch hunt.”
It is unclear if Netanyahu’s corruption trial will play a role in Rivlin’s decision. However, the president has expressed little optimism that Israel will solve its political stalemate any time soon.
He said on Monday that “the direction of the talks so far is a fifth election. After four election campaigns democracy has exhausted itself.”
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