Consultations ahead of entrusting a chosen candidate to form the government will be held at the President’s Residence after the election results are clear, official and final, and will be presented to the president by the chair of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Justice Uzi Fogelman, eight days after election day, according to the law (Basic Law: The Government (2001)​, Section 11.)

 

Judge Fogelman is expected to deliver the election results to President Rivlin on Wednesday 31 March 2021. The president then has seven days to hold consultations, make a decision and entrust a Knesset Member with forming a government, no later than Wednesday 7 April 2021. Note that tasking a candidate can take place before the end of the seven-day period.

 

Continuation of the process according to Basic Law: The Government (2001):

 

The Knesset Member entrusted by the president with forming a government has 28 days to do so. The president is authorized to extend this period by up to 14 days. If the period of time allotted to a Knesset Member to form a government has expired and they are not able to do so; or if the Knesset Member has informed the president that they are not able to do so; or if a government has been presented and the Knesset has failed to express confidence in it, the president has two options and must take one of them within three days:

 

1. To entrust another Knesset Member who has informed the president that they are willing to undertake the task of forming a government with the task of doing so. This Member of Knesset will have 28 days in which to form a government.

 

2. To inform the Speaker of the Knesset that he does not see a possibility of forming a government.

 

If the president informs the speaker that he does not see a possibility of forming a government; or if he has entrusted another Member of Knesset with the task of forming a government and this candidate, too, is unable to do so; or if this Member of Knesset has informed the president that he is not able to form a government; or if a government has been presented to the Knesset and has not received its confidence then a majority of Members of the Knesset – 61 in number – can present the president with a request, in writing and within 21 days, to entrust another Member of Knesset of their choosing, who has agreed in writing, to form a government. If such a request is submitted to the president, the president must entrust the nominated Member of Knesset with forming a government within two days, and the Member of Knesset nominated by a majority of Knesset Members will have 14 days to do so.

 

If such a request has not been submitted by a majority of Knesset Members; or if the Knesset Member nominated by a majority of Knesset Members does not form a government; or if they inform the president that they are not able to form a government; or if the government has been presented to the Knesset and not gained its confidence, the Knesset will be deemed to have dissolved itself and there will be new elections to the Knesset.