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Israel’s president asks Netanyahu to try to form a government
Israel’s president tasked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday with forming a new government led by his right-wing Likud party after power-sharing talks with his centrist rival, Benny Gantz, failed.
But eight days after an inconclusive election, Netanyahu has no clear path to a fifth term: a Likud-led bloc of right-wing and religious parties is six seats short of a ruling majority in the 120-seat parliament.
Nominated by President Reuven Rivlin on live TV, Netanyahu will have 28 days to put together a government, with a 14-day extension possible.
