President Reuven Rivlin asked party leaders to explain their position now that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has returned the coalition mandate to form a coalition government. Yahadut Hatorah, which represents Degel Hatorah and Agudas Yisrael, explained their position remains unchanged.

A letter was sent to heads of the Knesset factions from the President’s Residence seeking to hear from each party as to their position vis-à-vis the presidential mandate now that Likud has announced it cannot form a government.

The president was basically seeking to determine if any of the party’s object to the mandate now being given to the Blue & White party to permit party chairman Gantz to attempt to form a coalition. The chareidim explain they continue recommend PM Netanyahu for receiving the mandate to form a coalition. The chareidim explain their position has not changed and that the right-wing bloc is larger, with 55 seats.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)