Benjamin Netanyahu, the head of the right-wing Likud party, secured on Tuesday the support of the parliamentary majority, which recommended Israel's experienced leader to form the new government, local media reported
TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2019) Benjamin Netanyahu, the head of the right-wing Likud party, secured on Tuesday the support of the parliamentary majority, which recommended Israel's experienced leader to form the new government, local media reported.According to The Times of Israel newspaper, President Reuven Rivlin received recommendations from 10 of the 11 parties elected to the parliament.
Thus, incumbent Prime Minister Netanyahu enjoys the backing of 65 members of the parliament, while his rival from the Blue and White political alliance, Benny Gantz, has been supported by 45 lawmakers.
Netanyahu was backed by lawmakers from his Likud party, the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, right-wing United Torah Judaism alliance, Union of Right-Wing Parties, Kulanu centrist party, and Yisrael Beytenu secular party. The latter is headed by Avigdor Lieberman who resigned from his defense minister post in November.
Gantz, who served as chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 2011-2015, in turn, received support from his centrist Blue and White alliance, left-wing Meretz party and the Israeli Labor Party.
Rivlin is due to meet with representatives of one more party, Raam-Balad, to discuss the candidate for the post of prime minister. This is unlikely to change the situation since the party holds only four seats in the parliament, according to the results of the recent parliamentary elections.
The Israeli president is expected to announce his decision after getting the finalized results of the parliamentary vote from the Central Elections Committee on Wednesday. After the Israeli president announces his choice, the designated prime minister will have 28 days to form the new government, with the possibility of a two-week extension.
