The main rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won support from Israel's Arab coalition on Sunday to form a government, potentially undermining Netanyahu's plan to stay in power stop a proposed unity cabinet to fight the coronavirus outbreak, EDNews reports citing Aljazeera.
After a third inconclusive election in less than a year left Netanyahu still three seats short of forming a majority, the prime minister has asked his main rival, Benny Gantz, the former chief of the Israeli military, to agree to an "emergency government" to fight the global pandemic.
However, Gantz has so far been cool to the proposal, suggesting he could still try to form a minority government of his own, removing Israel's longest-serving leader.
Israel's president on Sunday said he has decided to give Gantz the first opportunity to form a new government. President Reuven Rivlin's office announced his decision late on Sunday after consulting with leaders of all of the parties elected to parliament.