Israel's new parliament sworn in amid coronavirus outbreak

Israel's new parliament was sworn in on Monday. Instead of normal festive gathering of the 120 knesset members, Israeli lawmakers were staggered in 40 rounds of three each as part of the country's instruction to limit public gatherings due to coronavirus outbreak.

The event gave the country a new legislature but still there is a bit of time to establish a government. The official mandate to form a government, given to the leader of Blue and White party Benny Gantz by the Israeli president, boosts his chances of ousting veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was a blow to Netanyahu, who is fighting for his political life amid unprecedented political deadlock and a criminal indictment for corruption, which he denies. But it remains unclear whether Gantz's centrist Blue and White Party can break a stalemate that has been marked by three inconclusive elections in less than a year.