Netanyahu Fails to Form Government, Rivals Face Big Hurdles

  • Bloc bent on ousting Israeli leader is an incongruous mix
  • President has three days to decide who to tap next for task
Benjamin NetanyahuPhotographer: Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a government by a midnight Tuesday deadline, giving a motley camp of rivals an opportunity to join forces to oust him -- or send the country headlong into a fifth election.

The March 23 election -- the fourth in two years -- gave neither Netanyahu nor his opponents a clear path to building a coalition. President Reuven Rivlin offered the prime minister, who’s facing trial in three corruption cases, the first crack last month after a plurality of lawmakers nominated him.