Israel's Netanyahu, Gantz meet in last-ditch effort to form gov't

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- In a last-ditch effort to form a coalition government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with opposition leader Benny Gantz Tuesday.

The Israeli government is facing the possibility of a third election after neither has been able to form a unity government.

The leaders of the Likud and Blue and White parties will meet Tuesday in Tel Aviv, officials said.

The Knesset, which now has the presidential mandate to form a coalition, has another week to form a government. If it fails, Israeli leaders may be forced to set a third election for March, which would be its third in less than a year.

Avigdor Liberman, the leader of the Yisrael Beytenu Party, said Tuesday he believes a "narrow right-wing government" would be better than enduring another election.

"The easiest path would have been for us to join a narrow government," Liberman said. "We didn't do it because the State of Israel needs a broad government. It needs a government made up of the two major parties or it will not be able to make the decisions it must make."

Netanyahu failed to form a unity government after winning the first election in April, which led to another vote in September. Following that election, both Neyanyahu and Gantz were given the chance to find support for a coalition, but both failed before Israeli President Reuven Rivlin gave the Knesset the opportunity.

A new matter potentially complicating the prospects of a new unity government is the corruption indictment now hanging over Netanyahu, which was filed last month by Israel's attorney general.