Netanyahu and centrist rival Benny Gantz are eyeing a prime minister rotation in a unity government, Israeli kingmaker Lieberman says, DanWilliams
JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his centrist rival Benny Gantz on Monday held their first formal talks since Israel’s deadlocked election and a politician with the power to broker a deal said they could be nearer agreement on a unity government.
Going solo, neither he nor ex-general Gantz have enough support from respective allies for a 61-seat majority in the 120-member parliament. Gantz met earlier with Avigdor Lieberman, a political free agent and likely kingmaker thanks to his eight parliament seats. This time around, if a power-sharing deal is forged, it could be imperative for Netanyahu to serve as prime minister first should he seek to avoid prosecution.
Likud won 31 parliament seats to Blue and White’s 33 in the Sept. 17 election, near-complete results show. Gantz had appeared to have 57 backers but three of the Arab Joint List’s 13 members on Monday withdrew support they had pledged to him a day earlier.
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