President Reuven Rivlin formally tasks Gantz
Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin this evening last night tasked head of Kachol Lavan MK Benny Gantz, with forming a government.
President Reuven Rivlin
Earlier this evening, the president signed the letter of appointment of MK Benny Gantz to form a government and also spoke with representatives of Kachol Lavan, at the request of MK Gantz, who asked to brief the president on the current state of affairs
On Monday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned the mandate for forming a government to the president and after a round of conversations held with the various Knesset factions, the president decided to give it to head of Kachol Lavan, MK Benny Gantz. Once the president has tasked him with forming a new government, MK Gantz will have 28 days, according to law, to form a new government, without the possibility of an extension of time.
Blue and White Party chairman Benny Gantz in Rosh Ha’ayin, Sept. 17, 2019. Photo by Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90.
When handing him the mandate, the president said, “During the consultations I held with the Knesset factions before deciding who should form a government, 54 Knesset members expressed support for MK Benny Gantz. Accordingly, I have decided to give you the opportunity to assemble a government. The law gives you 28 days, starting tomorrow, to form a government. This is a short time, and these are fateful days. The scope and size of the challenges ahead require a government in Israel, a government for the people of Israel.”
“Against the backdrop of the election results, and the fact that no candidate received the support of 61 MKs, the fact is that giving the task of forming a government to one of the two candidates is not a solution in itself. We cannot absolve the two candidates and the factions of the responsibility for producing the conditions to break the impasse that we have found ourselves in. We must remember that as long as we do not speak out against exclusion of all and any groups in Israeli society, as long as there is no motivation to create new alliances between the large or small parties, as long as there is no real desire to reach agreement, to compromise, no government will be established.”
The president said, “I proposed a plan with the aim of clearing a path for Likud and Kachol Lavan to establish a unity government. The roadmap I proposed is not perfect but it seeks to pave a way for a new government that takes the election results into account, as well as relations between the various parties and their supporters.”
“A government can be established,” said the president. “There is no justification for imposing another round of elections, for the third time within a year, on the Israeli public. If a government is to be formed, everyone will pay a price. But if this is not the case, the citizens of Israel will pay the greatest price of all. The keys to forming a government in Israel are currently in the hands of all elected officials, of all parties. I call on all elected officials not to erode public confidence in Israeli democracy. In the name of this dear people, and for the good of Israeli citizens everyone”
I wish you the president said to Gantz.
