Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, head of the Likud's coalition negotiations team, criticized President Reuven Rivlin's decision to return the mandate to form the government to the Knesset and not to impose the task on Binyamin Netanyahu.
"I cannot understand Rivlin's decision, because Netanyahu is the person most likely to be able to form a government. It's against the law," Levin said.
He argued that, contrary to the claims of MK Benny Gantz, it was Gantz's Blue and White party which reneged on the agreements which had already been reached in the coalition negotiations. "The Justice portfolio will be in their hands. The conclusion was that [Blue and White MK] Hili Tropper would be [Defense] minister, but Blue and White withdrew from the agreement."
Minister Levin rejected claims that Likud is seeking a narrow right-wing government: "Netanyahu is committed to the idea of a unity government and sees no other way to form a stable government."