Benny Gantz asks rival Benjamin Netanyahu to join him in forming Israel government

Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to join him in a unity administration on Monday after receiving an official mandate to try to form Israel's next government.

In a sharp blow to Mr Netanyahu, who had declared victory in a March 2 election, 61 of parliament's 120 legislators voiced support for Mr Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, in consultations with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday.

At a televised ceremony on Monday, Mr Rivlin gave Mr Gantz 28 days, with the option of a two-week extension, to assemble a ruling coalition.

But Mr Gantz's backers include opposing forces – the Joint List of Arab parties and the far-right Yisrael Beiteinu faction led by former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman – that complicate efforts to form a viable government without wider support.

Mr Netanyahu and Mr Lieberman have proposed a six-month "national emergency government" grouping Blue and White and the prime minister's right-wing Likud party, to confront the coronavirus crisis.

"I give you my word, I will do all in my ability to establish within a few days as broad and patriotic a government as possible," Mr Gantz said at the nomination ceremony.

The March 2 election was Israel's third inconclusive parliamentary poll in less than a year. Mr Gantz and Mr Netanyahu discussed forming a coalition government with a "rotating" leadership arrangement after the previous election in September but failed to agree. Mr Netanyahu insisted on holding the prime minister's post for the first two years but Mr Gantz said he refused to serve under someone facing criminal charges

Mr Netanyahu was supposed to stand trial for alleged corruption this week but proceedings were postponed to May 24 because of the coronavirus crisis.

Mr Gantz called on his rival to agree to a unity deal this time.

"The time has come for an end to empty words," he said at Monday's ceremony. "It's time to set aside our swords and unite our tribes and defeat hatred."