How will Netanyahu get the mandate to form a government?
Thursday night at midnight is the deadline for a request to be given to the president for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form the next government.
By TAMAR URIEL-BEERIPRESIDENT REUVEN RIVLIN gestures to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the President’s Residence on Wednesday.(photo credit: REUTERS)
The process of negotiations between political parties in order to form a government, as Israel has seen through three elections in a row, is a long one. But how exactly, according to the law, does one receive the mandate in order to form a government in the first place?As of yet, a government has not been formed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to receive the mandate to form a government on Thursday night. This is because the previous round of attempts to form a government had not reached a conclusion.Therefore, the government is given 21 days in which 61 members of Knesset (MKs) or more may recommend a particular candidate to form the government.The request must be hand-written and handed in person to President Reuven Rivlin and may include an MK who has already been assigned the task of forming the government on previous occasions, as Netanyahu has done. Netanyahu must agree in writing to being nominated, as well.As the 21 days began on April 17, Thursday night at midnight is the deadline.Once the request is received by Rivlin, he will need to give it his (literal) stamp of approval. The President's House will publish the list of names shortly thereafter.From that point on, if there is a question regarding the authenticity of a signature or one of the MKs who signed it changes their mind, that MK may come forth and say so. If this is proven to be true and there are therein less than 61 signatures, the request will not be accepted by the president.If there is no issue, the president will assign the task of forming the government to Netanyahu.
