Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday night that he was giving up trying to form a government, leaving the way open to his centrist rival Benny Gantz. "Not long ago I announced to President Reuven Rivlin that I was giving him my mandate to try to form a government," said Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video posted on his Facebook account.
A difficult task for Gantz
President Reuven Rivlin said shortly after, in a statement of his services, that he intended to mandate now Benny Gantz, leader of the party Bleu-Blanc, to try in turn to form a government.
All factions of the Knesset will be informed that "the president intends to transfer the mandate to form the government, as soon as possible, to the president of Bleu-Blanc, MP Benny Gantz", according to the statement, which specified that this transfer would take place on Thursday. Benny Gantz, a former army chief, will also have 28 days to complete this already difficult task.
Time to act for Bleu-Blanc
"The time has come to act," the Blue-White party said in a statement Monday, "determined to form a Liberal Union government, led by Benny Gantz, for which people in Israel have voted there is a months, "he added. By "liberal", the party means that it will seek to limit the influence of religious parties in the formation of a coalition government.
After the parliamentary elections of September 17, Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz respectively won the support of 55 and 54 elected to lead the next government, but without reaching the threshold of 61 members to form a majority government. President Reuven Rivlin had mandated Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking to extend his reign, already the longest in Israel's history, in an attempt to rally Benny Gantz into a unity government. But the talks did not succeed.