‘Likud, Blue and White trying to form unity gov’t’

With just 85 days left before the September 17 election, an initiative to cancel the race and form a national unity government gained traction on Sunday.

Likud and Blue and White officials have been trying to attract support from the 80 MKs needed to cancel the contest and form a government instead, Channel 12 reported.

Canceling the election could save the public coffers billions of shekels and avoid an election that had very little support to begin with. Legal officials have reportedly even said that the two-thirds majority may not even be necessary.

If the law dispersing the Knesset is voided by a new vote that passes into law, President Reuven Rivlin can formally return the mandate to form a government to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Blue and White officially denied the report, saying that the only way to cancel the election is for Netanyahu to quit and concentrate on his legal battle.

“The report is nonsense,” said Blue and White MK Ofer Shelah.

Labor MK Itzik Shmuli, who is running for party leader, said no MK in his right mind would support canceling the election at this stage.

Former prime minister Ehud Barak condemned the initiative saying, “this is not the time for political tricks but for the deep change that the country requires.”