Prime Minister-designate Benny Gantz held negotiations on Thursday regarding forming the government. The first meeting was with Likud, but it ended with deep frustration. The second meeting was held with representatives from the Joint List and it ended with positive approaches towards the Arab citizens in Israel.
However, none of the meetings succeeded in resolving the issue towards the next government's form.
Gantz stated that he is holding important talks with parties’ heads and that the ambiance of these meetings contradicts with what is being published in the media.
He expressed optimism that all parties’ leaders are aware of the dangers of third elections. They also show responsibility in preventing moving towards elections since it will damage the strategic and economic conditions.
Gantz said he wants "a broad, liberal unity government – or any other way to form a government…I will make every effort to make progress…I am determined to have a government and not an election.”
Ministers Yariv Levin and Zeev Elkin of Likud considered that Gantz is pretending that he wants a unity government but they got the impressions that these negotiations are a lie and only a play by the Blue and White in front of the media.
The real negotiations are held by Gantz with President of Joint List MP Ayman Awda for the sake of forming an extremist oligarchy with the Arab.
Further, Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman knocked off the option of the formation of a minority government that would be supported from outside the coalition by the Joint List. In such a scenario, the Joint List would vote in favor of government legislation but not join the governing coalition.
