Israel is heading for another election: Benny Gantz of the opposition center-alliance Blau-Weiß failed to form a government. He gave the mandate to President Reuven Rivlin.
Before Gantz, right-wing conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces charges of three corruption cases, failed in his attempt to form a government.
After the return of the mandate by Gantz now every Knesset member can try to seek a majority of 61 of the 120 parliamentarians for a coalition government. If this also fails within the next 21 days, Israel threatens a third parliamentary election within a year. Then the parliament would be dissolved automatically. Within 90 days then a new election should be scheduled regularly.
Netanyahu (Likud) had already failed in April after the previous parliamentary election in the formation of a government. He has been in office since 2009.
Efforts to form a grand coalition of Blue-White and Likud had previously been unsuccessful. Netanyahu insisted on joining the Alliance with a whole bloc of right and religious parties. However, Gantz has pledged to form a liberal, secular coalition and also rejected an alliance with Netanyahu as head of government, because they face charges in three corruption cases.
Another option was the formation of a minority government - blue-and-white with left-liberal groups and outside support for the United Arab Emirates list. But for Gantz would have been dependent on Avigdor Lieberman of the ultra right party Israel Beitenu. This was considered kingmaker, but declared on Wednesday noon, neither to support a minority government, nor a right-wing religious coalition with a narrow majority.
