Israeli Knesset given power to form coalition as charges against Netanyahu announced
by Jordan Hilger, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – President Reuven Rivlin tasked the Knesset with forming a coalition government in an unprecedented move for the Israeli political process Thursday.
A day before, Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz conceded failure in his attempt to do the same with his liberal Blue and White party at the helm, following in the footsteps of Netanyahu himself and the right-wing Likud whose efforts sputtered in the weeks after the election.
Rivlin upbraided Netanyahu and Gantz for failing to “set aside your election swords and clean away the dirt” and “show awareness of our sovereignty, statesmanship and responsibility for the people of this dear land,” calling the leadership’s inability to arrive at a self-definition “a time of unprecedented darkness” for the state of Israel.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, also on Thursday, decided to bring up Netanyahu on corruption charges that have long been pending against him, which the longtime premier called “selective enforcement” and a political machination by the left to weaken Israel.
Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein and his fellow MKs will have 21 days to form a unity government with whichever lawmaker can garner 60 seats of support as its head, in lieu of which outcome third elections will be called within 12 months.