Netanyahu renews call for challenger Gantz to join him after president Rivlin tasks Israel PM to form new govt

Jerusalem: Israel’s president on Wednesday tasked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with forming a new government after last week’s deadlocked elections, his office announced.

The announcement followed a joint meeting between President Reuven Rivlin, Netanyahu and the premier’s challenger Benny Gantz.

Netanyahu will have 28 days to form a government, with a possible two-week extension.

If all attempts fail, Rivlin can then assign the task to someone else.

Soon after the announcement, Netanyahu renewed his call for Gantz to join him in a unity coalition.

Netanyahu made the comments to journalists after accepting President Reuven Rivlin’s mandate to try to form a government following last week’s deadlocked elections.

But the two sides appear far apart, including on who should lead a unity government.

Rivlin has also been urging Netanyahu and Gantz to form a unity government, but a compromise appears a long way off.

Final results from 17 September elections gave Gantz’s centrist Blue and White 33 seats, ahead of Likud’s 32 out of parliament’s 120.

Neither has a clear path to a majority coalition.

Netanyahu received the endorsement of 55 members of parliament for the post of prime minister after the election, while Gantz received 54.