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Israel's President Asks Parliament To Pick New Prime Minister

Israel's President asked the Knesset to pick a new prime minister after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz failed to reach a deal.
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Israel's parliament has three weeks to choose a new prime minister. 

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin ordered the Knesset to do this after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Benny Gantz failed to reach a deal. 

Netanyahu and Gantz had vowed to create an emergency government amid the coronavirus pandemic, even though Gantz said he would never work in a government under Netanyahu because of corruption charges against him. They also talked about Gantz serving as vice prime minister and then becoming prime minister after 18 months. 

The Knesset also has the power to choose someone who's not Netanyahu or Gantz, but would need support from 61 of the 120 lawmakers. If parliament doesn't pick someone, the country could be forced into a fourth election in just over a year.