President Reuven Rivlin said Sunday he will not act to help form a unity government after March 23 elections unlike his efforts following the previous national vote.
Rivlin pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue & White leader Benny Gantz to form a unity government following the election in September of 2019, which resulted in a stalemate that at the time would not allow either political bloc to form a coalition.
Sources said that during behind-closed-door talks, Rivlin said the idea of forming a unity government this time is "irrelevant" due to the plethora of parties that see themselves as major players.
Rivlin is also not expected to push for preliminary consultations on the identity of the Knesset member who will receive the mandate to form the government and will only do so only after receiving the official results, in contrast to recent election cycles.
This means the round of consultations to hear MKs’ nominees to form the next government, will not begin until next Wednesday, March 31st.
"Unfortunately, there is no president in the history of the State of Israel with experience like mine in forming governments," Rivlin is quoted as saying during the talks.
Rivlin has served through six election campaigns and this national vote will be the last for the president, who will end his term in July.