Summary
Israel's two biggest parties agreed Monday on a March 2 election date, barring a last-minute power-sharing deal, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fighting for political survival under criminal indictment.
A 21-day period in which parliament can nominate a legislator with majority support to try to put together a ruling coalition expires at 2200 GMT Wednesday, triggering the legislature's dissolution and an election within 90 days.
Their parties have been deadlocked in talks on a "unity" administration in which Netanyahu and Gantz would take turns as prime minister.
The two parties, which disagree over which man would serve first and for how long, announced they had agreed on the March 2 election date.
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