Netanyahu Calls Herzog 15 Minutes Before Deadline to Form Government

By Yisrael Price

YERUSHALAYIM – Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Benjamin needed every minute of the ten-day extension of his 28-day mandate to form a government, succeeding in finalizing negotiations with holdouts Otzma Yehudit and United Torah Judaism less than a half hour before the Wednesday midnight deadline.

But Netanyahu emerged from a nerve-wracking round of negotiations under the clock to finally notify President Isaac Herzog by phone at about 11:45 p.m. that he’s ready to swear in the new government, according to media reports.

Under existing rules, Netanyahu could have asked for an additional 4 days, but it was unclear that Herzog
would have agreed to do so. Herzog declined to give him the full 14 when he asked for
that, allowing him only 10 days.

Religious Zionism leader Betzalel Smotrich tweeted in the closing minutes, “B’sha’ah tov! We succeeded!” But Netanyahu had not yet made an announcement.

Not long before that, Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben Gvir, who was reportedly “locked” in negotiations with Netanyahu, said that it was not clear they’d make the deadline.

Protocol dictates that the announcement must also be made to the Knesset. Netanyahu will then have a week to present his government to a Knesset vote, and will not be afforded any further extension to do so.

The members of the incoming coalition were first informed to prepare for a vote and swearing-in ceremony for the new government next Wednesday, but the Likud then postponed the event by one day to Thursday. The time will be determined once the Knesset is officially informed.

The negotiation process has thus far lasted for over six weeks, with the Likud reportedly sealing deals with most of the right-wing parties, but no official announcements have been made yet.