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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested and was granted a two-week extension on forming a new government by President Shimon Peres on Saturday evening.

Netanyahu’s attempts at forming a government have been frustrated by an unlikely pact between Yesh Atid and Jewish Home, whereby neither will enter the coalition without the other. With Yesh Atid having announced that they will not sit in government with ultra-Orthodox parties and Jewish Home refusing to enter a coalition without Yesh Atid, Netanyahu’s preference for a broad coalition including ultra-Orthodox parties such as Shas appears to have been thwarted. Speaking on Saturday evening, Netanyahu said “The main reason I have not finished forming a government is because there is a boycott of a sector in Israel,” accusing Yesh Atid and Jewish Home of rejecting the ultra-Orthodox.

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid explained that there are fundamental differences between his party and ultra-Orthodox parties on issues such as the military draft and the budget and that “it would be no tragedy if they [the ultra-Orthodox] sit in the opposition in the coming term.” Meanwhile, Shas co-leader Eli Yishai appeared resigned to a term in opposition, saying yesterday, “‎In the coming days, a government will finally be formed, without the ultra-Orthodox.”

Israel Radio News reports that Netanyahu told Shas leaders yesterday that the alliance between Yesh Atid and Jewish Home is preventing him from including them in the government. Meanwhile, Netanyahu sat yesterday with Bennett in a meeting described by a Jewish Home spokesman as “good and practical.” Israel Hayom speculates that Bennett will request to become Finance Minister with Lapid becoming Israel’s next Foreign Minister. Yediot Ahronot suggests that Yesh Atid will be given control of the Education, Interior and Welfare ministries, while Jewish Home will assume the Housing, Industry and Religious Services ministries.