Israeli president says 'stable' govt should include Likud, Blue and White

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said Sunday the country's next government should include both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and Benny Gantz's Blue and White alliance to form a "stable" coalition.

Rivlin made the comments during meetings with representatives from political parties to hear their recommendations on who should be prime minister following last week's deadlocked elections.

Blue and White won the most seats in Tuesday's poll, with 33 out of parliament's 120, while Likud finished second with 31.

Neither has an obvious path to a majority coalition, raising the possibility of a third election in a year's time after April polls also ended inconclusively. Rivlin had so far met representatives from Blue and White and Likud as part of his consultations.

He must designate someone to form a government after the consultations, though there has been speculation that he will bring Gantz and Netanyahu together to explore options for a unity government.

He has said he will do all possible to avoid a third election.