Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Calls for Unity Government Amid Political Deadlock

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on opposition leaders to join him in forming a unified government comprising opposition and ultra-Orthodox parties. In a video statement released on Monday, Netanyahu described the move as “the need of the hour” given the country’s current challenges.

Netanyahu stated that any “Zionist” party could join the proposed coalition, adding that he is not ruling anyone out while maintaining that his Likud party should lead the coalition as the largest party. He noted that the government needs to include all parties in the national camp, including haredi (ultra-Orthodox) factions, and expressed readiness to immediately enter talks with any party willing to discuss his proposal.

The prime minister argued against forming a government dependent on Arab-led parties or those who supported Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot, stating that it would be impossible to fight radical groups under such an arrangement. Netanyahu’s right-wing endorsement tally currently stands at 46 seats following post-election consultations with President Isaac Herzog, after the United Torah Judaism party opted to abstain.

Netanyahu’s renewed appeal came a day after President Isaac Herzog gave Eisenkot the mandate to form a government following consultations with political parties. Eisenkot received the mandate after securing recommendations from 67 members of the 120-member Knesset, with support including lawmakers from Yashar, B’Yachad, The Democrats, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Arab-led parties. He now has 28 days to form a government, with the possibility of an additional extension of up to 14 days granted by the president.

Meanwhile, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman and Eisenkot met on Monday and reached an agreement regarding the selection of the next Knesset Speaker, though they did not immediately announce their choice. The meeting took place amid ongoing discussions on coalition options. While the Yashar party described the talks as constructive and expressed confidence in forming a stable four-year term government, the statement did not clarify whether the two leaders had resolved all differences regarding the broader government formation.

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