Israel elections: Likud lawmaker urges Netanyahu to return mandate
'Blue and White doesn’t want to negotiate because it is interested in elections' Bitan says
Israeli parliament member David Bitan of the Likud party on Tuesday pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to return the mandate to form a government coalition to President Reuven Rivlin.
Bitan criticized leaders of the Blue and White party for discontinuing coalition negotiation talks with the Likud.
"Blue and White doesn’t want to negotiate because it is interested in elections. The prime minister thought that after they sat in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee they would understand the security situation and come to negotiations, but they aren’t ready to,” Bitan told Israeli Army Radio.
According to Bitan, it is crucial for Netanyahu to return the mandate to the president in order to form a government.
"In the current situation, it is proper that Netanyahu return the mandate this evening already" adding, "It's time to really bring the mandate back, there's no point in holding it."
Likud officials told Hebrew radio network Reshet Bet that Netanyahu is holding on to the mandate is because he is awaiting a public declaration by parliament member Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beiteinu party), in which Liberman will oppose the establishment of a left-wing government relying on Arab votes.
Former mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, announced that he intends to run for Likud party leader in the future, saying, "The day the Netanyahu era ends, I will present myself as a candidate for the leadership of the party and the premiership."