Netanyahu pledges to make every effort to form an effective government

Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to do everything in his power to form an effective government in order to get Israel out of the political paralysis, calling on the partisan parties to stop boycotts behind which personal accounts stand. During a Likud party bloc session held this evening in the Knesset, Netanyahu described the formation of the government as not easy, considering that it could, however, be achieved.

The head of state assigns Netanyahu the task of forming a government

Today, President Reuven Rivlin assigned Benjamin Netanyahu the task of forming the next government. In a speech he delivered at the headquarters of the Presidents of Israel, Rivlin stated that this decision is not easy in terms of morals and values, as he is aware of the position of many citizens refusing to entrust this task to a person against whom indictments have been submitted. He explained that the law and the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice allow a prime minister to continue performing his duties even if he is accused of criminal offenses. President Rivlin indicated that he is not about to replace the legislative or judicial body, stressing that it is the duty of the Knesset to decide on this fundamental and ethical issue.

According to the law, the time limit granted to the parliamentary person in charge of this task reaches twenty-eight (28) days, noting that the head of state has the authority to extend this period by fourteen (14) additional days to accomplish this task.

Angry reactions after assigning the tasks of forming the government to Netanyahu

In response to the head of state’s decision, a group calling itself “Preserving Democracy” decided to petition the Supreme Court of Justice, describing it as incorrect at this particular time. This group recalled that Netanyahu did not abide by a previous court ruling regarding the conflict of interests.

In turn, the head of the Yesh Atid party, Yair Lapid, said that the head of state fulfilled his duty as he had no other choice. However, handing over the letters of assignment to Mr. Netanyahu is a disgraceful stain that harms the state as it maintains the law.