TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th October, 2019) Former Israeli military chief Benny Gantz sought on Wednesday to woo nationalist leader and former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman in a bid to form a majority coalition.
They spoke shortly after Gantz was handed the mandate to try to form a 61-seat majority, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to complete the task in 28 days.
"Both agreed to meet soon. They have also agreed a meeting of their negotiating groups," Gantz's campaign headquarters said in a statement.
Gantz's centrist Blue and White alliance was one seat ahead of Netanyahu's Likud, which won 32 seats in September's election, the second vote in six months. Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu won eight seats.
If he fails to build what he describes as a "liberal union government" the mandate will be passed to another candidate with a chance of forming a coalition � but a new snap vote is a likelier scenario.
