Benny Gantz and rival Benjamin Netanyahu has not found a majority for the government. Now open the new race and possible options.

on the Night of Thursday, had yet a political leader in Israel, Benny Gantz abandon to form the government after the elections in Israel in september.

Gantz, who is in charge of alliance for democracy Blue and White, had to deliver his mandate back to president Reuven Rivlin. It opens for a third general election within a year.

Before Gantz was entrusted with the task to assemble a coalition government, it was a mistake for the acting prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to assemble enough votes for a feasible regeringsflertal.

Both candidates got 28 days to the task.

It now means that others in parliament will have a period of 21 days to find an alternative majority. It is unprecedented in the history of Israel.

Gantz thanked president Rivlin for his support, and he promised that he will not have abandoned the attempt to form a government. He Aresbet will continue with the next 21 days.

- In the time I will be available for direct, substantive and accelerated negotiations to form a government, which will lead us out of the paralysis, which blokbyggere has inflicted on us, he said late Wednesday.

the Same will to seize the next 21 days gave Netanyahu said.

But the very point right now against the third election since april.

- In many ways this state with a political stalemate unprecedented in Israel, " says Ofer Kenig of the Israel Institute for Democracy.

- the Country has never had two rounds so close to each other. There has never been a government in place for so long a period of time. And there has never been so many mutual vetoes between the coalition partners, he points out.

Avigdor Liberman from the right-wing and secular party Beiteinu, which right now is considered as kongemager in israeli politics, announced Wednesday that he can't support neither Netanyahu or Gantz as prime minister.

He gave both politicians to blame for the fact that it is not managed. It is not political disagreement between the two - but personal, which is the cause.

/ritzau/dpa