Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has handed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu the mandate to form the country’s next government following elections that left no clear winner. “Netanyahu’s ability to assemble an administration is higher at the moment,” Rivlin explained at a less-than-festive ceremony, admitting it was far from certain whether the right-wing prime minister would succeed. He seemed to castigate both Netanyahu and his challenger, retired military chief of staff Benny Gantz, for having been unable to get around key differences barring the way to a national unity government during post-election talks. Rivlin did, however, make it clear to Netanyahu that should it be impossible for him to form a government after 28 days and a possible extension, the prime minister would have to return the mandate, at which time the president would decide what to do next. The September 17 election was a do-over of a national vote last April, at which time Netanyahu was unable to form a coalition and, in a surprise move, rammed through legislation to dissolve the new parliament and go to snap elections rather than return the mandate. While deemed legal, the move was unprecedented, and Rivlin later said – rather diplomatically – that he had been “surprised” by the move.
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