Israel’s president today asked the Knesset to choose a new prime minister, giving parliament three weeks to agree upon a leader or plunge the country into an unprecedented fourth consecutive election in just over a year. President Reuven Rivlin made the move after his prime minister-designate, former military chief Benny Gantz, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to reach a power-sharing deal by a midnight deadline. The Knesset could hypothetically choose a third candidate as prime minister. The long-serving Netanyahu, meanwhile, would likely be forced to step aside halfway through the term and allow Gantz to serve as prime minister in a rotating power-sharing deal. Citing the coronavirus crisis, Netanyahu’s hand-picked justice minister has already delayed the trial by shuttering most of the court system.-AP

Source: The Standard April 16, 2020 11:15 UTC