Netanyahu rival Sa'ar makes request to hold Likud leadership race

Likud leadership candidates Gideon Sa'ar and Nir Barkat made the proposals that could help the Likud deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's indictment while preventing the third election from taking place. The proposals were sent to the head of the Likud central committee, Haim Katz, who will be convening the committee to consider the ideas, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Sa'ar asked to convene the Likud and to set primaries for the leadership before the December 11 deadline for a member of Knesset to harness enough support to present to President Reuven Rivlin a majority of 61 Member of Knessets (MKs) to form a government.

Sa'ar publicly challenged Netanyahu after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced on Thursday that he would charge the prime minister with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in a series of graft probes.

The veteran Likud MK on Saturday criticized the premier for describing the indictment as an attempted coup and vowed he could "easily" put together a government following Netanyahu's failure to do so after two consecutive elections. Blue and White leader Benny Gantz similarly failed to form a coalition after the September vote.