Israeli election latest: Benjamin Netanyahu invites rival Benny Gantz to join him in coalition

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli president of the Supreme Court Esther Hayut and Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White party
AFP/Getty Images
Daniel O'Mahony19 September 2019

Israel’s embattled prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu today called for a “broad unity government” to solve the country’s election deadlock.

After meeting with political allies yesterday, Mr Netanyahu today invited his centrist challenger Benny Gantz to join him in coalition, as their rival Likud and Blu and White parties sit almost neck and neck following Tuesday’s poll.

“Throughout the campaign I called for a right-wing government, but unfortunately the election results show that’s not possible,” Mr Netanyahu said. “Therefore there is no choice but to form a broad unity government.

“We cannot and there is no reason to go to third elections.”

Avigdor Liberman, the leader of the secular nationalist Yisrael Beytenu, earlier said he is willing to serve in a unity government between Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White parties, and warned the pair there was “no other option” on the table.

With 95 per cent of the votes counted following Tuesday’s election, Likud held 32 seats and the centrist Blue and White 33 in the 120-seat Knesset. Mr Liberman’s party is on course to win nine seats.

The Yisrael Beytenu leader ruled out going into government with the Joint List, the alliance of Arab-dominated parties which is predicted to come third with 13 seats.

On his Facebook page Mr Lieberman wrote: “If Gantz and Netanyahu [don’t] come out in the announcement that this [a coalition] is their intention, they shouldn’t try to call me at all. In our opinion there is no other option.”

It is the second time Israeli’s have gone to the polls this year following Mr Netanyahu’s failure to form a government in April.

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