Source: Politics<\/p>\n
JERUSALEM \u2014 Israel\u2019s president on Tuesday handed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the difficult task of trying to form a government from the country\u2019s splintered parliament, giving the embattled leader a chance to prolong his lengthy term in office while on trial for corruption charges.<\/p>\n
In his announcement, President Reuven Rivlin acknowledged that no party leader had the necessary support to form a majority coalition in the 120-seat Knesset. He also noted that many believe Netanyahu is unfit to serve in light of his legal problems. <\/p>\n
Nonetheless, Rivlin said that there was nothing in the law preventing Netanyahu from serving as prime minister. After consulting with the 13 parties in the newly elected parliament, Rivlin said that Netanyahu had the best chance of any candidate of forming a new government.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo candidate has a realistic chance of forming a government that will have the confidence of the Knesset,\u201d Rivlin said. But, he added, Netanyahu has a \u201cslightly higher chance\u201d of being able to. <\/p>\n
\u201cI have decided to entrust him with the task,\u201d Rivlin said from Jerusalem. Netanyahu now has up to six weeks to try to cobble together a coalition during his trial.<\/p>\n
The decision nudged forward the twin dramas over the country\u2019s future and Netanyahu\u2019s fate, giving Israel\u2019s longest-serving premier a fresh chance to try to salvage his career.<\/p>\n
A court ruling could be months or even years away. The proceedings are expected to take place up to three days a week, an embarrassing and time-consuming distraction that will shadow Netanyahu\u2019s appeals to his rivals.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu holds the most support \u2014 52 seats \u2014 in Israel\u2019s Knesset. But that is still short of a 61-seat majority. He is likely to use his powers of persuasion to try to lure a number of opponents, including a number of former close aides who have vowed never to serve under him again, with generous offers of powerful government ministries or legislative committees.<\/p>\n
Parties representing 45 members supported Yair Lapid, while Yamina, with seven seats, nominated its own leader, Naftali Bennett. Three parties holding a total of 16 seats made no recommendation.<\/p>\n
Rivlin\u2019s decision merges questions of Netanyahu\u2019s legal and political future in what\u2019s perhaps the starkest political challenge of his career. <\/p>\n
In court, he faces fraud, breach of trust and bribery charges in three separate cases. Proceedings resumed Tuesday, though the premier was not expected to appear in court. <\/p>\n
A key witness on Monday cast Netanyahu as an image-obsessed leader who forced a prominent news site to help his family and smear his opponents.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu denies all charges and in an nationally televised address accused prosecutors of persecuting him in an effort to drive him out of office. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what a coup attempt looks like,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Monday\u2019s court session focused on the most serious case against Netanyahu \u2014 in which he is accused of promoting regulations that delivered hundreds of millions of dollars of profits to the Bezeq telecom company in exchange for positive coverage on the firm\u2019s popular news site, Walla.<\/p>\n
Ilan Yeshua, Walla\u2019s former chief editor, described a system in which Bezeq\u2019s owners, Shaul and Iris Elovitch, repeatedly pressured him to publish favorable things about Netanyahu and smear the prime minister\u2019s rivals.<\/p>\n
The explanation he was given by the couple? \u201cThat\u2019s what the prime minister wanted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n