Israel’s president summoned the leaders of the country’s two largest political parties Monday, hoping to break a political deadlock that threatens to push the nation into months of limbo and potentially force a third election in less than a year, Associated Press reports.
In a joint statement after the meeting, the sides said that negotiators would continue the talks Tuesday and that Rivlin had invited the two leaders back to meet with him on Wednesday evening. They gave no further details about their discussions.
“People expect you to find a solution and to prevent further elections, even if it comes at a personal and even ideological cost. This is not the time to exclude people.” Rivlin told the two leaders.
Both Netanyahu and Gantz have expressed support for a unity deal between their parties. But there are deep, seemingly unbridgeable differences between them.