On Wednesday evening, President Reuven Rivlin will officially hand Blue and White leader Benny Gantz the mandate to form Israel's next government.
Gantz and his people are not expected to have an easy time trying to split the "Bloc of 55," which comprises representatives of the right-wing parties, the religious parties, and the haredi factions, all of whom have promised to remain loyal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Gantz will have 28 days to form a government, the same time allocated to Netanyahu.
Harel Tubi, director general of the Office of the President, held a round of meetings with party leaders on Tuesday, after which he announced that the mandate would move to Gantz. Netanyahu is expected to meet on Wednesday with leaders of the small right-wing and haredi parties in an attempt to lock in his bloc of 55 MKs who have promised to refuse to join a government under Gantz.
Although some have suggested that Gantz might try and form a narrow minority government, Blue and White is expected to try and put together a liberal unity government with the Likud party that does not include the haredim.
New Right party leader Ayelet Shaked has already said that her party will sit down for talks but refuse offers to join Gantz's government. The Likud stated a similar position.
Likud MK David Bitan said in an interview to Channel 12 News on Tuesday that he did not think Israel would wind up holding a third election.
"I think that a government will be formed in the last 21 days after Gantz's mandate runs out – not in the 28 days allotted to him – because then everyone will be under pressure," Bitan said.
"There won't be any more blocs. Everyone will be willing to do something to avoid another election," he added.
When asked what the various parties would be willing to do, Bitan replied, "I don't want to make bets or give anyone any ideas."
On the whole, Bitan said, he expects that if Gantz failed to form a government, the existing blocs on both the Right and the Left would break apart.
