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Israel’s parliament has 21 days to choose prime minister

President Reuven Rivlin has given the Knesset three weeks to choose the next prime minister after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White head Benny Gantz failed to reach an agreement by the Wednesday deadline.
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Israel's president has given the parliament three weeks to pick the next prime minister or trigger the country’s fourth election in less than a year. 

President Reuven Rivlin notified opposition leader Benny Gantz Thursday morning that he was transferring the mandate to form a new government to the Knesset. Gantz, who leads the Blue and White Party and is also speaker of the Knesset, has been in talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a unity government but the two missed a Wednesday night deadline set by Rivlin. 

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