Israel president officially asks Netanyahu to form govt

By Said Amouri

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday officially tapped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new cabinet, according to reports in the Israeli media.

The move comes after Netanyahu’s relative victory in Israel’s April 8 general elections.

Rivlin gave Netanyahu a 28-day deadline for drawing up a new cabinet, which can be extended -- if necessary -- by a further 14 days.

In the event that Netanyahu fails to form a government within the given period, Rivlin will nominate a member of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) to do so.