Israel's Netanyahu Loses Mandate To Form Government, Opening Door For Rivals

Netanyahu, on trial over corruption charges he denies, had a 28-day window to secure a coalition following the March 23 vote, Israel's fourth in less than two years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's mandate to form a government following an inconclusive election expired on Wednesday, giving his rivals a chance to take power and end the divisive premier's record tenure. Netanyahu, on trial over corruption charges he denies, had a 28-day window to secure a coalition following the March 23 vote, Israel's fourth in less than two years. The 71-year-old's right-wing Likud party won the most seats in the vote, but he and his allies came up short of an absolute majority in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel's parliament. The results delivered by a deeply fractured electorate left Netanyahu with a daunting path towards 61 seats, as voters broadly chose not to reward him for a successful coronavirus vaccination campaign.