Israeli Prime Minister has 14 more days to form a new government

On April 20, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 14 more days to form a new coalition government.

President Reuven Rivlin (right) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference in Jerusalem on the decision to extend the deadline for forming a new government. Source: AFP/TTXVN

After the unexpected victory in the parliamentary election on March 17, on March 25, Prime Minister Netanyahu was appointed by President Rivlin to form the next government within 28 days.

Despite nearly four weeks of negotiations, Mr. Netanyahu has yet to reach an agreement on a government he hopes will include six right-wing and religious parties, and have a majority of 67 of the 120 seats in parliament.

The decision was made after Prime Minister Netanyahu formally requested an extension of two weeks, as the April 22 deadline approaches. If Netanyahu fails to form a coalition within the next two weeks, President Rivlin can hand the task to another party leader, also within 28 days.

According to Vietnam+