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| Israeli PM Netanyahu fails to form a government ahead of deadline | Israeli PM Netanyahu fails to form a government ahead of deadline |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Israel's long-standing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he cannot form a government, handing the opportunity to his political rival. | Israel's long-standing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he cannot form a government, handing the opportunity to his political rival. |
| Mr Netanyahu has been in power for the past decade but was unable to secure a majority after September's elections failed to produce a clear winner. | Mr Netanyahu has been in power for the past decade but was unable to secure a majority after September's elections failed to produce a clear winner. |
| His rival Benny Gantz of the Blue and White party will now be invited to attempt to form a government. | His rival Benny Gantz of the Blue and White party will now be invited to attempt to form a government. |
| Mr Netanyahu's attempts to bring Mr Gantz's party into government failed. | Mr Netanyahu's attempts to bring Mr Gantz's party into government failed. |
| Announcing the decision to abandon his efforts, Mr Netanyahu said he had tried repeatedly to form a coalition government but had been rebuffed. | Announcing the decision to abandon his efforts, Mr Netanyahu said he had tried repeatedly to form a coalition government but had been rebuffed. |
| Israel's president, Reuven Rivlin, said he would give Mr Gantz weeks to carry out the same negotiations. | Israel's president, Reuven Rivlin, said he would give Mr Gantz weeks to carry out the same negotiations. |
| Israeli Arab lawmakers pledged their backing, but Mr Gantz - who leads a right-of-centre alliance- remained more than a dozen seats short of the necessary 61 seat majority. | Israeli Arab lawmakers pledged their backing, but Mr Gantz - who leads a right-of-centre alliance- remained more than a dozen seats short of the necessary 61 seat majority. |
| President Rivlin said he would try to avoid calling another election in a country which had already voted in two this year. | President Rivlin said he would try to avoid calling another election in a country which had already voted in two this year. |
| September's poll saw Mr Netanyahu's Likud party win 32 seats and Mr Gantz's Blue and White party 33. President Rivlin initially selected Mr Netanyahu, the incumbent, as the candidate with the best chance of successfully forming a coalition. | |
| BBC Middle East Correspondent Tom Bateman reports that Israel's president has suggested a so-called unity coalition of the two main parties. That could see Mr Gantz as de facto prime minister, while Mr Netanyahu holds onto the position in name only. | BBC Middle East Correspondent Tom Bateman reports that Israel's president has suggested a so-called unity coalition of the two main parties. That could see Mr Gantz as de facto prime minister, while Mr Netanyahu holds onto the position in name only. |
| But many in Israel believe a third election may be the only way to break the deadlock. | But many in Israel believe a third election may be the only way to break the deadlock. |