Members of Knesset Amir Peretz and Orly Levy Abekasis, who chair the Labor-Gesher Party, have responded to the Binyamin Netanyahu's decision to return the mandate to form a government to President Reuven Rivlin saying, "Tonight Netanyahu has ended his post as prime minister. Netanyahu's failure is the new hope for Israeli citizens."
A statement by the two party leaders continued, "It is time to form a government that places Israel's citizens and welfare at the top of its priorities, will address the rising violence, cost of living, the housing shortage, the health system's failures, and mend the rifts Netanyahu has created over the past decade."