Gideon Sa'ar
Gideon Sa'arYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called New Hope chairman Gideon Sa'ar last Saturday night in a last-ditch attempt to prevent the formation of a government headed by Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett.

According to a report on Channel 12 News on Sunday, Netanyahu sought to invite Sa'ar to a meeting in which the outline of the rotation in which Sa'ar serves first would be discussed. Sa'ar turned down the Prime Minister's offer and also refused to meet with him.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the parties in the "bloc of change" that will form the future unity government gathered on Sunday for the first working meeting at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv.

The meeting discussed the need to swear in a government as early as next Wednesday, in order to allow the country to move forward.

"The party leaders emphasized the leaders' place in ensuring calm, and expressed concern about the atmosphere in the demonstrations and on social media," the party leaders said in a joint statement.

Labor party chairwoman MK Merav Michaeli said at the end of the meeting, "It was an excellent meeting with a good atmosphere and good will."