Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will be turning to President Reuven Rivlin to ask for a two-week extension as he continues efforts to establish a coalition government. He stated this on Sunday morning at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting.

“As has happened on previous occasions in forming a government, I intend to ask for an extension from the President. Not only is such an extension customary, it is also necessary in light of scheduling constraints stemming from the many events this time: The intermediate days of Pesach, Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel’s Wars, Independence Day and the security events regarding the Gaza Strip…”

The 28-day period given to Netanyahu to form the coalition will expire on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, with some Likud officials explaining the extension is required because of Chol Hamoed Pesach, during which talks were delayed. It is not rare that the two-week extension is sought and President Rivlin is expected to accommodate the request, which will set the new deadline for forming the coalition to May 28, 2019.

News12 correspondent Daphne Lial reported that agreement has been reached among the various parties that a change will be made in the Basic Law to permit the prime minister to appoint cabinet ministers without limitation. After the Knesset election of 2013, a law was passed at the initiative of the Yesh Atid party limiting the number of cabinet ministers to 18. It now appears that law will be eliminated, and the size of the incoming cabinet will be increased.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)