>>> WELCOME BACK TO "VELSHI & RUHLE."

RUHLE." WE GOT BREAKING NEWS OUT OF

WE GOT BREAKING NEWS OUT OF ISRAEL WHERE THE PRIME MINISTER

ISRAEL WHERE THE PRIME MINISTER AND PRESIDENT ARE MAKING AN

AND PRESIDENT ARE MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT.

ANNOUNCEMENT. THE ISRAELI PRESIDENT HAS JUST

THE ISRAELI PRESIDENT HAS JUST ASKED BENJAMIN NETANYAHU TO

ASKED BENJAMIN NETANYAHU TO ATTEMPT TO FORM THE NEXT

ATTEMPT TO FORM THE NEXT GOVERNMENT.

GOVERNMENT. I WANT TO BRING IN NBC NEWS’S

I WANT TO BRING IN NBC NEWS’S MATT BRADLEY LIVE IN TEL AVIV.

MATT BRADLEY LIVE IN TEL AVIV. >> Reporter: THE RUMORS OF

>> Reporter: THE RUMORS OF BENJAMIN NETANYAHU’S POLITICAL

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU’S POLITICAL DEATH WERE GREATLY EXAGGERATED.

DEATH WERE GREATLY EXAGGERATED. ALL THE TALKS ABOUT HOW HE’S NOT

ALL THE TALKS ABOUT HOW HE’S NOT GOING TO CONTINUE ON.

GOING TO CONTINUE ON. HE’S NOW BEEN CHARGED AS YOU

HE’S NOW BEEN CHARGED AS YOU MENTION BY THE PRESIDENT WITH

MENTION BY THE PRESIDENT WITH FORMING A NEW GOVERNMENT.

FORMING A NEW GOVERNMENT. HE HAS 42 DAYS TO DO THAT.

HE HAS 42 DAYS TO DO THAT. IF HE DOES NOT THEN THAT

IF HE DOES NOT THEN THAT OPPORTUNITY WILLS PROBABLY PASS

OPPORTUNITY WILLS PROBABLY PASS THROUGH HIS MAIN RIVAL, BENNY

THROUGH HIS MAIN RIVAL, BENNY GANTZ.

GANTZ. HE’S A FORMER MILITARY CHIEF.

HE’S A FORMER MILITARY CHIEF. IF HE DOES NOT DO THAT IN

IF HE DOES NOT DO THAT IN ANOTHER 42 DAYS, THAT’LL GO TO A

ANOTHER 42 DAYS, THAT’LL GO TO A YET A THIRD ELECTION, THE THIRD

YET A THIRD ELECTION, THE THIRD ONE IN LESS THAN A YEAR.

ONE IN LESS THAN A YEAR. NOW ALI, IF YOU THOUGHT IDENTITY

NOW ALI, IF YOU THOUGHT IDENTITY POLITICS WERE A BIG ISSUE IN

POLITICS WERE A BIG ISSUE IN AMERICA, IT IS NOTHING LIKE HERE

AMERICA, IT IS NOTHING LIKE HERE IN ISRAEL.

IN ISRAEL. EVERY NARROW POLITICAL AND

EVERY NARROW POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS IDENTITY HERE HAS

RELIGIOUS IDENTITY HERE HAS THEIR OWN POLITICAL PARTY AND

THEIR OWN POLITICAL PARTY AND EVERY POLITICAL PARTY HAS THEIR

EVERY POLITICAL PARTY HAS THEIR OWN ROCK SOLID POSITION.

OWN ROCK SOLID POSITION. IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT SOMEBODY

IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT SOMEBODY THAT WON THIS ELECTION, YOU

THAT WON THIS ELECTION, YOU COULD SAY THAT’S ABIDOR

COULD SAY THAT’S ABIDOR ABIDOR LIEBERMANN.

ABIDOR LIEBERMANN. HE’S MORE OF A NATIONALIST.

HE’S MORE OF A NATIONALIST. HE REJECTS ALL OF THE MAIN

HE REJECTS ALL OF THE MAIN RELIGIOUS PARTY BACKED BY

RELIGIOUS PARTY BACKED BY BENJAMIN NETANYAHU.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU. HE REJECTS A LOT OF THE ARAB

HE REJECTS A LOT OF THE ARAB PARTIES THAT BACKED BENNY GANTZ.

PARTIES THAT BACKED BENNY GANTZ. HE’S KIND OF THE KING MAKER, HE

HE’S KIND OF THE KING MAKER, HE HAD EIGHT EATSSEATS.

HAD EIGHT EATSSEATS. THE DRAMA BEHIND ALL THIS, BAA

THE DRAMA BEHIND ALL THIS, BAA HAU

HAU BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, HE’S NOT

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, HE’S NOT JUST FIGHTING FOR HIS POLITICAL

JUST FIGHTING FOR HIS POLITICAL FUTURE FOR HIS CAREER.

FUTURE FOR HIS CAREER. HE’S FIGHTING FOR HIS FREEDOM.

HE’S FIGHTING FOR HIS FREEDOM. HE’S FACEING THREE DIFFERENT

HE’S FACEING THREE DIFFERENT ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTIONS AND

ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTIONS AND HIS BEST WAY OF STAYING FREE OF

HIS BEST WAY OF STAYING FREE OF NOT GOING TO JAIL, OF NOT BEING

NOT GOING TO JAIL, OF NOT BEING INDICTED IN ONE OF THESE HEARS

INDICTED IN ONE OF THESE HEARS ISI N G

ISI N G HEARINGS IS TO REMAIN IN HIS

HEARINGS IS TO REMAIN IN HIS POSITION.

POSITION. CAN HE SEDUCE LIEBERMANN TO

CAN HE SEDUCE LIEBERMANN TO THROW HIS WAY BEHIND THE PARTY.

THROW HIS WAY BEHIND THE PARTY. BENNY GANTZ, HIS MAIN RIVAL SAYS

BENNY GANTZ, HIS MAIN RIVAL SAYS HE’S NOT GOING TO BE IN

HE’S NOT GOING TO BE IN COALITION WITH BENJAMIN

COALITION WITH BENJAMIN NETANYAHU BECAUSE HE FACES THE

NETANYAHU BECAUSE HE FACES THE POSSIBILITY OF INDICTMENT.

POSSIBILITY OF INDICTMENT. ALI.

ALI. >> HE GOT 42 DAYS TO DO THIS.

>> HE GOT 42 DAYS TO DO THIS. SOMETIMES IT IS LESS TIME,

SOMETIMES IT IS LESS TIME, EITHER HE’LL GET THE 61 SEATS HE

EITHER HE’LL GET THE 61 SEATS HE REQUIRES OR GOING BACK TO THE

REQUIRES OR GOING BACK TO THE PRESIDENT SAYING I CAN’T.

PRESIDENT SAYING I CAN’T. >> ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

>> ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. >> Reporter: HE DOES NOT HAVE

>> Reporter: HE DOES NOT HAVE ANYMORE MORE THAN THAT.