Israel’s Netanyahu proposes sharing power with rival Gantz
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has hinted he might be open to a power-sharing arrangement with main rival Benny Gantz after a bruising election saw the two neck-and-neck in the count.
Netanyahu called for a unity government, and hinted that himself and Gantz could be Prime Ministers on a rotating basis.
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It marks a climb-down for the Prime Minister of 10 years, who also served in the roll during part of the 1990s, who had vowed to form a right-wing government.
However he was forced into the concession after neither his Likud or Gantz’s Blue and White Party were able to win a majority in Tuesday’s vote.
With 95 per cent of votes counted according to local reports, the Likud-led right-wing bloc will have 55 seats, against the centre-left’s 56.
“Benny, we must set up a broad unity government, as soon as today. The nation expects us, both of us, to demonstrate responsibility and that we pursue cooperation,” Netanyahu said.
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A rotating premiership is not unheard of in Israeli politics. Between 1984 and 1988 Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Shamir shared the role, serving two years each.
Blue and White had no immediate response to Netanyahu’s overtures, but Gantz is set to deliver a speech later this morning UK time.