Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been granted the go ahead by President Reuven Rivlin to form a new coalition government, recognizing his surprising victory in the last week's election.

Rivlin yesterday handed him the task of forming the next government hours after he received the official election results showing Netanyahu's Likud with 30 Knesset seats to lead all parties. The Isreali President, however, chided Netanyahu for his controversial remarks about Arab-Israeli voters before tasking him to form the next government.