Gantz running out of time to form Israeli government

JERUSALEM • Israel's President yesterday rejected Parliament Speaker Benny Gantz's request for more time to form a government, as talks persist on a possible interim alliance with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Former military chief Gantz was given the mandate to form a government four weeks ago by President Reuven Rivlin following Israel's March 2 election, the country's third inconclusive vote in a year.

Then in a surprise move last month, Mr Gantz was elected Speaker of Parliament, and he pledged to seek an emergency unity alliance with Mr Netanyahu to ease the political deadlock and help the country tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

While his mandate to form a government runs until the end of today, Mr Gantz was no longer actively engaged in talks to forge a coalition led by him as prime minister.

Instead, he was widely believed to be pursuing a unity deal that would see Mr Netanyahu remain as prime minister for a defined period, possibly then handing power over to Mr Gantz.

Despite reports of progress from the two sides - and from the Israeli media - no deal has been agreed.

Late last Saturday, Mr Gantz asked Mr Rivlin for an extension of his mandate. In response, Mr Rivlin told Mr Gantz "that in the current circumstances no extension would be possible".

"The President made his decision after also speaking to... Netanyahu, who did not confirm in their conversation that the parties are close to signing an agreement that would lead to a unity government," a presidency statement said.

If no unity agreement is reached by the end of today, Mr Rivlin intends to allow Parliament three weeks to decide who will have the next chance to build a coalition. If no one succeeds in forming a government, the country will then head to another round of elections - the fourth since April last year.

The President, who has been pushing Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz to team up for months, will "reconsider his decision" should the two men jointly request an extension before the deadline, the statement said.

Blue and White, a centrist alliance led by Mr Gantz, said in a statement that "the attempts by the negotiating teams to arrive at a unity government are still ongoing". Mr Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party said that it, too, remained open to forming a unity government.

Mr Gantz had earlier run in Israel's parliamentary elections on a promise not to serve in a government with Mr Netanyahu, citing the Prime Minister's indictment on corruption charges. Mr Netanyahu denies those charges.

But in a reversal that dismayed many of his supporters, Mr Gantz said the coronavirus crisis had made a national emergency government with Mr Netanyahu's party an imperative.

"The political, health and social crises have brought me to the decision that even at a heavy political and personal price, I will do all I can to establish a government with the Likud," Mr Gantz wrote in his letter to the President requesting additional time to form the government, which was published by his party.

With nearly 11,000 reported cases of coronavirus and more than 100 deaths, Israel's tight restrictions on movement aimed at curbing the spread of the deadly disease have forced many businesses to shut down and sent unemployment rates in the country soaring to about 25 per cent.

There have been widespread calls for an agreement on an interim government to lead the country through the global pandemic.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BLOOMBERG, REUTERS