JERUSALEM – Israel's president on Sunday turned down a request from Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz for a two-week extension to form a new coalition government.
The announcement by President Reuven Rivlin means that Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have a midnight deadline on Monday night to reach a power-sharing deal.
If they fail, the country could be forced into a fourth consecutive election in just over a year. Gantz asked Rivlin for the extension on Saturday night, claiming he was close to a deal with Netanyahu.
But in his response, Rivlin said the extension would not be possible under the “current circumstances.” Gantz last month was given the task of forming a government by Rivlin after a narrow majority of