Rivlin to Tap Netanyahu to Form Coalition
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will tap Likud Chair and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for the task of forming a ruling coalition, after meeting Wednesday evening with Netanyahu and his main challenger, Blue and White Chair Benny Gantz.
The announcement comes after he received the official election results earlier Wednesday and as he encourages Gantz and Netanyahu to form a unity government.
Under the law, Rivlin has seven days after receiving the results to name someone to form a government, but he opted to move ahead without delay, according to a statement from his office earlier on Wednesday.
Netanyahu will have 28 days to form a government, with a possible two-week extension.
If his attempts fail, Rivlin can then assign the task to someone else.
