As things appear, President Shimon Peres on Wednesday, 19 Shevat 5773 will meet with Central Election Committee Chairman Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, at which time he will receive the official outcome and numbers pertaining to the election for the 19th Knesset. He will then meet with the heads of the leaders of the two largest lists, in this case Likud/Beitenu and Yesh Atid, followed by meetings with the heads of all parties entering Knesset. When the process is complete he will bestow the presidential mandate on one of the parties, empowering them to begin building a coalition.

The party with the mandate will have 28 days to assemble a government coalition, and if so inclined, the party may request a 14-day extension from the president, which is generally extended but the president may decline that request.

It would appear that the mandate will go to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who will be starting a third term in office.

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(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)