Occupied Jerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed Israel’s president Monday he could not form a new government following deadlocked September elections, making way for his opponent Benny Gantz to try.
###
The decision was an important defeat for Netanyahu as he seeks to continue his tenure as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, but it does not mean the end of those efforts since he still has various cards to play.
###
Gantz will also face long odds in forming a government, with many analysts predicting he too will fail to negotiate a unity coalition.
###
###
In that case, President Reuven Rivlin could ask a majority of parliament members to agree on a candidate.
###
Rivlin has vowed to do all he can to prevent yet another election — a third since April — but the possibility remains that the stalemate could eventually trigger it.
###
Netanyahu has been battling the threat to his political survival on two fronts, also facing the possibility of corruption charges in the weeks ahead.
Click Here: Fjallraven Kanken Art Spring Landscape Backpacks###
“A short time ago I informed the president that I was handing back my mandate to try to form a government,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on his official Facebook page.
###
The prime minister blamed Gantz for refusing to negotiate on Netanyahu’s preferred terms.
###