Netanayhu tasked with forming Israel government

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin today tasked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with forming a government after the country’s fourth election in two years.

Highlighting the ongoing division in the political circles in Israel, Rivlin said no candidate had a real chance of forming a new government.

Netanyahu, who has served as PM since 2009, now has 28 days to form a coalition. His Likud party won the most seats in the election but came up short of a majority. He is able to form a 52-seat bloc in the Knesset against a 57-seat bloc led by the second-largest party in the Knesset – Yesh Atid led by Yair Lapid. The bloc which forms a coalition of 61 seats will be able to form the next government.

Many believe Netanyahu will need the help of Arab parties to secure his government, but his coalition partners have refused to join a government which includes Arab politicians.

READ: President Rivlin plans to resign to run for prime minister post