Netanyahu again fails to form new Israeli government

The mandate given to Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government expired on Tuesday with no breakthrough in coalition talks. File pic/AFP

Beleaguered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is Israel's longest-serving premier, has failed to meet a midnight deadline of forming a government, giving his rivals a chance to end his uninterrupted stint at the helm of politics since 2009.

Netanyahu, 71, who is facing trial on a series of graft charges, was tasked by President Reuven Rivlin to put together a government on April 6 following inconclusive polls, the fourth in the last two years.

The mandate given by Rivlin to Netanyahu to form a government expired on Tuesday at midnight with no breakthrough in coalition talks, prolonging the country's political stalemate.

His Likud party emerged as the single largest party in the 120-member Parliament but did not have the necessary 61-member support to form a government. Likud had won 30 seats in the general election in March. While tasking Netanyahu with the responsibility of forming the government, Rivlin said that he was doing so reluctantly and mentioned his "moral dilemma" given the court proceedings and lack of enough support for the Likud leader. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.

President Rivlin's spokesman in a statement said, "Shortly before midnight, Netanyahu informed the President's Residence that he was unable to form a government and so returned the mandate to the president." Rivlin on Wednesday contacted the parties represented in the Knesset (Israel's unicameral parliament) on the continuation of the process of forming a government.

The President met Yesh Atid party's chairman, Yair Lapid, and Yamina party's chairman, Naftali Bennett. Both Lapid and Bennett reiterated their desire to be given the mandate to form the next government, press releases from the Presidency said.