Israel, Netanyahu renounces to form the government. Rivlin: "Soon I'll give Gantz the job"

• Netanyahu is charged with forming the new government in Israel
• Israel, Rivlin: "A common government is possible"

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Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu announced that he remits the mandate to form the new government in the hands of President Reuven Rivlin.

It is the second time in six months that the Likud leader - who turned 70 today - fails to form the government. Netanyahu had been appointed by Rivlin on September 25 and the deadline would have expired the day after tomorrow.

In the video posted on Facebook, Netanyahu underlined "he has always worked, ever since he received the mandate, without stopping ... to establish a large government of national unity. This is what the people want". But - he added - efforts to "bring Benny Gantz to the negotiating table and prevent another election" failed because his Blue-White party "always refused".

The road to the outgoing premier was immediately all uphill. In the elections, the Likud obtained with the Allies only 55 seats out of the 120 in the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament. Another former ally, the Yisrael Beitenu party, refused to be part of a government that included the ultra-Orthodox.