Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz gamble over coalition talks

With both leading candidates unable to form a government following the September 17 election, the next few weeks are set to become a blame-game between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, each accusing the other for the political deadlock and the prospect of yet another election.

It has been a week since President Reuven Rivlin gave him the mandate to form a government but Mr Netanyahu is expected to return it in the coming days — without using the entire 28-day period allowed by law. Talks between Likud and Blue & White have broken down and Mr Gantz even cancelled a scheduled meeting with the prime minister on Wednesday.

The official reason for doing so was Likud’s insistence on negotiating with Blue & White on behalf of the entire bloc of right-wing and religious parties. In reality, Mr Gantz does not want politics to overshadow the pre-trial hearing in Mr Netanyahu’s corruption investigations.

Both men are trying to build a narrative and work on different timetables. Mr Netanyahu is portraying Mr Gantz, and especially his number two Yair Lapid, as refusing the framework for a unity government that President Rivlin proposed last week. On Wednesday he tweeted that “the only reason there isn’t a unity government is Yair Lapid. Lapid is holding Gantz hostage and for unclear reasons Gantz is surrendering to him.”