Knesset Told Of Coalition Formation, Starts Clock On Confirmatory Vote

Speaker of the Knesset Yariv Levin has informed the Israeli parliament of Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid's formation of a majority coalition, starting the clock on a confirmatory vote on the new gov't that must be held within 7 days.

• Levin, who hails from PM Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud Party, must hold the vote by Monday 14 June under Knesset rules.
• There is speculation that the speaker is delaying the holding of the vote as much as possible to allow for the 'change coalition' - which has a majority of just one seat - to potentially fall apart given the huge spectrum of political ideologies included (right wing Zionists, centrist social democrats, greens, Islamists).
• Should the 'change coalition' fail to win the confirmatory vote, PM Benjamin Netanyahu would remain in office in a caretaker capacity.