Israeli Opposition Leaders Agree to Begin Coalition Negotiations
Opposition leaders issued a joint statement after their Herzliya meeting, directing teams to begin drafting coalition agreements. No government has been formed.
Israel's opposition leaders agreed on Tuesday to immediately begin coalition negotiations, issuing a joint statement after their meeting in Herzliya.
The statement directs negotiating teams to begin drafting coalition agreements and policy guidelines, and reaffirms the leaders' joint recommendation of Gadi Eisenkot for the mandate to form the next government, reports say. No government has been formed and no mandate has been awarded.
The four Jewish-led opposition parties hold 48 Knesset seats, against 53 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc. Arab parties hold 19 seats. Five party leaders attended the meeting, as two of them lead a single joint party.
The meeting took place at the Dan Accadia hotel in Herzliya.