The talks also revealed lingering distrust between the parties.
Lapid and Bennett are each reportedly working to secure for themselves the next presidential mandate to form the government if Netanyahu fails to do so. By law, the candidate that holds the mandate controls the Knesset Arrangements Committee, the body that sets the legislative schedule and staffs the other Knesset committees until a coalition is formally established.
Party leaders Naftali Bennett (left) and Yair Lapid during the swearing-in ceremony of the 24th Knesset, at the Knesset building in Jerusalem, April 6, 2021. (Marc Israel Sellem/Pool)
Lapid, Hebrew media reports said, fears that if Bennett controls the mandate, he may turn his back on the unity government and form a coalition with Likud in exchange for the first turn in a rotating premiership. According to some Hebrew media reports, Bennett is keen to secure the mandate because that would enable him to keep open the option of a coalition with either bloc,
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ADL Israel, with the support of the EVZ Foundation, convened a special broadcast on Tuesday, March 9, featuring top Israeli policy makers, representatives of Jewish communities and opinion leaders to take stock of where Israel and Diaspora Jewry stand today. An edited video of the event is above.
The rising antisemitism and financial and social crisis in the wake of COVID-19, the rifts inside world Jewry, and the protracted political stalemate in Israel alongside certain progress in religious pluralism – are all re-shaping the dynamic between Israel and Jews worldwide. In addition, the Consultation Bill, if passes, is expected to change the dynamic between Diaspora Jewry and the State of Israel.
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The resilience and fabric of Israeli society are subjects that have been on the agenda of Israel and Israeli society since the establishment of the state. Now, however, these subjects appear to be more critical than ever and a question mark seems to hover above Israel’s continued existence as a cohesive society. There is a growing feeling that Israeli society has never been more divided.
Israelis increasingly feel their society is divided, and getting worse - poll timesofisrael.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesofisrael.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.