Article snippet: JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited his political rival Benny Gantz to join a unity government with him and his religious allies on Thursday, an offer that was greeted coolly amid continued deadlock following this week’s election. The deadlock has already raised speculation about a possible third election in the coming months, just two days after an unprecedented repeat vote left the country’s two main political parties with no clear path to a coalition government. While weeks of negotiations to form a coalition government lay ahead, conditions set by the parties could hobble the task within the allotted time, forcing another election. With nearly all votes counted Thursday, the centrist Blue and White party stood at 33 seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament. Netanyahu’s conservative Likud stood at 31 seats. Neither party, however, can muster a majority coalition of 61 seats with their smaller allies. ‘‘Throughout the campaign I called for a right-wing government, but unfortunately the election results show that’s not possible,’’ Netanyahu said in a video statement. ‘‘Therefore there is no choice but to form a broad unity government.’’ ‘‘We cannot and there is no reason to go to third elections,’’ he added. Netanyahu repeated the plea later Thursday at a memorial for late former Israeli President Shimon Peres, where he and Gantz, a former military chief of staff, shook hands in their first public encounter since Tuesday’s vote. Neither part... Link to the full article to read more