General

Second-place finisher in Israel’s election set to form government

Livni will oppose Netanyahu’s coalition

Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, has formally asked Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the right-wing Likud party, to form Israel’s next government. Likud won 28 seats in recent elections, one fewer than its centrist rival Kadima. But he has the support of other right-of-centre parties, notably ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu. Netanyahu says he wants to form a broad coalition that will include his main rivals in Kadima. But Kadima’s leader, Tzipi Livni, says her party will oppose Netanyahu’s coalition.

BBC News

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