Netanyahu Gets Mandate from Israeli President to form Government

Benjamin Netanyahu (Menahem Kahana / AFP / Getty)
Menahem Kahana / AFP / Getty

The Times of Israel reports: President Reuven Rivlin taps Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new coalition, for the second time in five months. The move comes after efforts to force a unity agreement with Blue and White’s Benny Gantz fail.

Rivlin says he made the decision after consulting with party leaders.

Neither Netanyahu nor Gantz received 61 nominations from MKs, says Rivlin. He therefore decided to pick Netanyahu (55 votes) as he was better poised to form a government than Gantz, who received 54 nominations, 10 of whom — the Arab politicians — have ruled out joining a Gantz-led coalition.

Read the full story here.

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