President Reuven Rivlin tasked Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid today with the mission of composing the next government. Rivlin made his decision after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to compose a majority coalition by the deadline given to him four weeks ago — last night at midnight — and after consulting with heads of the different parties this morning. Speaking in front of the cameras from his official residence in Jerusalem, Rivlin noted that Lapid had secured the recommendations of 56 Knesset members, against seven legislators who recommended Yamina leader Naftali Bennett.

“On the basis of the recommendations I received,” said Rivlin, "I spoke just now with Knesset member Yair Lapid and informed him I am tasking him with the mandate to form a government, whether this is a government that he initially leads, or a government led first by another candidate and in which he initially serves as alternate prime minister."

Lapid was recommended by members of his own Yesh Atid and by members of New Hope, Blue and White, Yisrael Beitenu, Meretz and Labor. Five members of the Joint List also recommended him, while representatives of the Balad faction within the Joint List recommended no one. Similarly, the chair of Raam, Mansour Abbas, did not recommend any candidate. Bennett received the support of only his own party members. All the other parties asked that the mission will be handed over to the Knesset.

The president explained why he preferred to grant Lapid the mission rather than give the Knesset the task of proposing its own candidate, saying that sending the mandate to the Knesset at this stage “transgresses against the law and is likely to lead to fifth elections without exhausting all the opportunities for forming a government.”