Likud and Blue & White parties exchange final drafts for coalition agreement

Likud and Blue & White parties exchange final drafts for coalition agreement

A significant breakthrough has been made in the negotiations for a coalition, N12 News reported, saying that the two main parties currently in discussions, Likud and Blue & White, have exchanged the final drafts of their coalition agreements.

According to Likud, the draft they handed to Blue & White is their final offer and represents the full extent of the concessions they are prepared to make, and now the ball is in Blue & White’s court.

On Sunday, head of the Blue & White party Benny Gantz spoke to President Rivlin, saying that he believed he would need an extension to the 28 days allotted to him to form a government. Rivlin responded that he would consider the matter in advance of the April 13 deadline when Gantz’s mandate to form a government expires.

A close associate of Benny Gantz, MK Hili Tropper (Blue and White), told the Knesset Channel on Monday that his party was not prepared to make compromises on the main issues of contention. On the issue of sovereignty, Tropper clarified his stance, saying: “We are in favor of the ‘Deal of the Century’ plan – we think it is good in principle, and we support it. In a unity government, everything has to be done by consensus, and so we want to make sure that we’re on the same page with this issue too.”

He stressed that “on the issue of judicial appointments, we are naturally not willing to accept any dilution whatsoever of the authority of the Justice Ministry. Benny Gantz made a very tough and courageous decision to attempt to form an emergency government because he believes that this is in the country’s best interest, but such a government will only come into being if democracy is preserved. This is what he has resolved, and this remains our position.”