Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin Thursday asked the Knesset to choose a new prime minister, giving the parliament three weeks to agree upon a leader or plunge the country into an unprecedented fourth consecutive election in just over a year.
President Reuven Rivlin made the move after his prime minister-designate, former military chief Benny Gantz, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to succeed in a power-sharing deal.
The sides officially have three weeks to wrap up a deal, otherwise, the Knesset would dissolve and trigger another election.
A total of 59 lawmakers have endorsed Netanyahu, leaving him just shy of a majority in the 120-seat parliament.
