PM-Bennett hold fourth meeting

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yamina leader Naftali Bennett met on Wednesday for the fourth time since President Reuven Rivlin granted Netanyahu the mandate to form a government.

Likud and Yamina coalition negotiating teams took part in the meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem and also met separately from the leaders.

Netanyahu’s goal is to reach agreements with Yamina, Shas and United Torah Judaism and then pressure Religious Zionist Party head Bezalel Smotrich, who continues to refuse to sit in a government backed by Ra’am (the United Arab List).

Netanyahu’s mandate ends on May 4. If he does not form a government by then, Rivlin is expected to give a mandate to Bennett to build a coalition with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, who returned from the US on Tuesday.