President Rivlin on Tuesday held a second consecutive day of meetings with Knesset faction leaders towards determining who they recommend receiving the presidential mandate to form the next coalition government.

The Central Election Committee earlier in the day announced the final results, and while both Likud and the Blue and White party headed by Benny Gantz received 35 seats, however, the right-wing bloc is sizable while the left-wing/centrist bloc lacks a majority, and thereby, Gantz cannot assemble a coalition.

The following faction representatives visited with the president on Tuesday:

Labor party
Members of the Labor faction – party head Avi Gabbai, MKs Amir Peretz, Itzik Shmuli and Stav Shafir and MK-elect Tal Russo informed the president that they recommend Benny Gantz be entrusted with forming the government.

Yisrael Beiteinu party
MKs-elect Evgeni Sova, Eli Avidar and Yulia Malinovsky, party director Ina Zilbergratz and faction manager Roman Gurwitz. Yisrael Beiteinu informed the president that they recommend Netanyahu be entrusted with forming the government.

United Right party
MKs-elect Rafi Peretz, Ofir Sofer and Edit Silman and MKs Betzalel Smotrich, Moti Yogev – were next to arrive. After they informed the president that they recommend Netanyahu form the next government, the president said “with your recommendation, you have formed a majority of the people in favor of the candidate. Your recommendation is of great significance to the discussions we are holding here.”

Meretz party
MK Tamar Zandberg, MKs Ilan Gilon, Michal Rozin and Esawi Frij, director of the party Tomer Reznik and faction manager Ronit Haikin Yaakobi. Meretz recommended Benny Gantz.

Kulanu party
MKs Roi Folkman and Tali Ploskov, party director Yoav Rafael and the party’s legal advisor Sahar Pinto. The representatives of Kulanu informed the president that they recommend Benjamin Netanyahu form the next government

Ra’am-Balad party
MKs Mansour Abbas, Mtanes Shehade, Abd al-Hakim Hajj Yihye, MK-elect Heba Yazbek and outgoing MKs Jamal Zahalka and Masud Ganaim, they chose not to recommend an MK to be entrusted with forming the next government.

At the end of the second day of consultations, HaNasi, 65 members of the 21st Knesset recommended Binyamin Netanyahu be entrusted with the formation of the new government. 45 members of the new Knesset recommended that MK-elect Benny Gantz be given the task, and 10 MKs requested not to make a recommendation.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)