The main rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won support from Israel's Arab coalition on Sunday to form a government, potentially undermining Netanyahu's plan to stay in power atop a proposed unity cabinet to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

After a third inconclusive election in less than a year left Netanyahu still three seats short of forming a majority, the prime minister has asked his main rival, Benny Gantz, the former chief of the Israeli military, to agree to an "emergency government" to fight the global pandemic

However, Gantz has so far been cool to the proposal, suggesting he could still try to form a minority government of his own, removing Israel's longest-serving leader.

Israel's president on Sunday said he has decided to give Gantz the first opportunity to form a new government. President Reuven Rivlin's office announced his decision late on Sunday after consulting with leaders of all of the parties elected to parliament.

About a fifth of Israeli citizens are Palestinian by heritage but Israeli by citizenship. But no Israeli government has ever included an Arab political party.

Netanyahu's Likud party denounced any such plans. "While Netanyahu is handling a global and national crisis in the most responsible way, Gantz is racing to form a minority government depending on supporters of terror," the party said on Twitter.

With Netanyahu facing criminal charges in three corruption cases - his trial was supposed to start on Tuesday but was postponed until May 24 amid the health crisis - political rivals have cast doubt on his motives for proposing a unity cabinet.

Gantz has said Netanyahu did not appear to be sincere, having yet to send a negotiating team to Gantz's Blue and White party. "When you're serious, we'll talk," Gantz wrote

Sources
Al Jazeera : Netanyahu's rival Gantz secures 61 majority to form government https://aje.io/953vd

Netanyahu been want die in office.
Putin 1 - Netanyahu 0

Even the so called "deal of the century" did not help Natanyahu

Good riddance.

Hope Gantz' coalition with the Arabs brings relief to the people of Palestine. The supremist Trump/Netunyahu partnership is sickening.

TMKsouth:
Good riddance.

Hope Gantz' coalition with the Arabs brings relief to the people of Palestine. The supremist Trump/Netunyahu partnership is sickening.

If Israel annex Palestine which more likely if there is no agreement between the two they might one day lose the while country to Arabs

Since the Arabs are the Majority in most of the cities like Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jericho, and Most of Jerusalem old city.