Blue and White officials say Likud negotiating in bad faith; Ruling party says it's 'shocked,' urges rivals to reconsider; premier appears poised to return mandate to president

Yisrael Beytenu chief, who helped trigger second elections, says ideological differences between Likud, Blue and White are minimal: 'Put your egos and personal interests aside'

Vowing to translate its gains at the polls to political influence, Joint List party faces challenge of how to do so while remaining outside the government

The hapless electorate is desperate to break out of our dark, post-election paralysis to a bright and glorious non-election dawn. An embittered fictional TV weatherman might help

Netanyahu's party had said that if the meeting produces no result, he will likely tell president that he is unable to form a majority coalition; then it would be Gantz's turn

Netanyahu's party has already said that if the meeting produces no result, PM may tell president that he is unable to form a majority coalition

Likud says president's proposal in which power would be equally divided and Netanyahu and Gantz would each serve 2 years as PM is only realistic solution

Likud and Blue and White remain deadlocked in talks over unity government with neither compromising so far on core demands

3rd election seen increasingly likely as unity talks go nowhere; Likud accepts Rivlin's proposal, but won't say if Netanyahu would take leave of absence if indicted

Talks on a unity coalition are deadlocked, and may ultimately go nowhere. But Blue and White is being outmaneuvered and Likud is winning the PR battle, too