TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2022) Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the Likud party, was officially tapped by Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday to form a new government, following early parliamentary election last week.
"My consultations showed the following picture: 64 Knesset members recommended that Benjamin Netanyahu be tasked with forming a government, 28 Knesset members recommended Yair Lapid, and 28 Knesset members decided not to recommend any Knesset member... I am not forgetting, of course, that there are ongoing legal proceedings against Netanyahu in the District Court of Jerusalem, and I am not oversimplifying this at all. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the Supreme Court has already expressed its opinion on the matter, and the task of forming a government has been already assigned to Netanyahu by my predecessor, President Reuven Rivlin," Herzog said at a ceremony at his residence in Jerusalem.
The president said that he had decided to assign Netanyahu a mandate to form a government after considering the matters in accordance with the law and receiving Netanyahu's consent to assume this responsibility.
The ceremony was attended by Knesset members and other officials.
According to the law, Netanyahu will have 28 days to hold coalition negotiations and form a government, with another 14 days that may be added to this period. Netanyahu may manage to swear in a new government before the legal deadline.
