September 18, 2019 12:51 am
7:45AM IL: At present, Likud and Blue & White are tied with 32 seats each, leaving the situation without either of the parties being able to form a coalition government by reaching the minimum number of seats required, 61.
The easier scenario is that Likud (32) gets together with Yahadut Hatorah (8) and Shas (9), as well as with Yemina (7), for a total of 56 seats. His options now are to persuade Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu party (9) to join his coalition for a total of 65 seats. Another option is to persuade Amir Peretz and the Labor/Gesher (6) seats to enter the coalition, for a total of 62.
If the presidential mandate is given to Benny Gantz and his Blue & White party (32), he will first move to include Labor/Gesher (6) and the Democratic Camp (5) for a total of 43. His next option is the Joint Arab List (12) for a total of 55, but in essence, even if the Arabs agree to join a coalition government, the two-seat Balad party is not going to sit with three former IDF chiefs of staff, leaving Gantz with 53.
Hence, Gantz must bring Lieberman on board so his chances of building a coalition are not too good the way things appear.
Further complicating matters is the fact that Lieberman has already called on President Reuven Rivlin to call both Netanyahu and Gantz for informal talks, even before the official announcement of the election outcome, towards forming a national unity coalition government including both large parties, which is what he explains is the situation he supports. He has not stated if he will join either larger party without the other.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
