Netanyahu says cannot form Israel government, allowing opponent to try

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. "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. Rivlin said shortly afterwards that he intended to ask ex-military chief Gantz, head of the centrist Blue and White alliance, to try to form a government.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019