President Reuven Rivlin may insist on a unity government between the Likud and the “Zionist Union” of Labor and Hatnua, it was reported on Tuesday night.
According to Haaretz, as the results of the exit polls came in, Rivlin said that "despite the doubts and objections" his plan is to work towards a unity government.
The President reportedly told political officials who spoke with him that he is “convinced that only a unity government can prevent the rapid disintegration of democracy and new elections in the near future.”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reiterated on Tuesday morning that he will not form a unity government with Labor-Hatnua chairman.
"There will not be a unity government with Labor," Netanyahu stated, shortly after voting at a Jerusalem school. "I will form a nationalist government."
He made similar comments on Monday night, when he sought to assure Jewish Home chairman Naftali Bennett that he does not intend to form a unity government, even after Tzipi Livni announced that she was giving up her rotation agreement with Herzog.
Similarly, Herzog stated Monday night that talk of a unity government is "nonsense". On Sunday, he revealed in an in-depth interview to Walla! that he only plans on participating in a unity government if Netanyahu were serving under his rule - not in the reverse situation.