Jerusalem: Israel’s political crisis intensified on Saturday after caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again urged the creation of a national unity government, while his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, rejected the offer as a political trick, AFP reported.
The exchange came as Eisenkot continues negotiations to put together a new government. He was chosen on Sunday to try to form one and has 28 days to succeed, with a possible extra 14 days.
Netanyahu’s Security Pitch
In a video statement, Netanyahu said his meeting with Eisenkot on Thursday made him even more certain that Israel needed a unity government to protect the country.
“A meeting with Eisenkot on Thursday ‘only strengthened the conviction that it is essential to form a national unity government’ to guarantee Israel’s security,” Netanyahu said. He added that such a government could “eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all.”
He said the government should include parties that recognise Israel “as a state for the Jewish people.”
Netanyahu described Iran as Israel’s biggest security danger and claimed it would “not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against us.”
Attack On Rival Plan
Netanyahu also criticised Eisenkot’s reported plan to create a minority government, which he described as a “national emergency government.”
Under that plan, Eisenkot’s 48 lawmakers would support the government, while Netanyahu’s 46 supporters would vote against it. The other 26 members of parliament, from Arab and ultra-Orthodox parties, could abstain. That would allow the government to be approved even without a full majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
“Instead of trying to form a weak and dangerous government… let’s meet in one room, without preconditions, put aside all our disagreements and all the boycotts, and reach agreements for the security and the future of the state,” Netanyahu urged.
Eisenkot Calls It Ruse
Eisenkot replied within minutes. He said Netanyahu knew he had lost the election and was using the call for unity to distract from that result.
“Netanyahu knows he lost the election,” Eisenkot said, accusing him of playing “tricks” by appealing for a unity government.
“Netanyahu is calling for negotiations while they are already underway; he claims to want unity but… sows division and stokes tensions as if there were no tomorrow,” the former army chief said, adding that “these tricks don’t work on me.”
Coalition Obstacles
Forming a new government will not be easy. Netanyahu has tried to weaken Arab-Israeli parties during the election campaign, and those parties won a record number of seats.
Netanyahu wants a unity government made up of Jewish parties from the centre and the right. Arab parties would not be included.
Eisenkot has said he could work with members of Netanyahu’s Likud party and with Religious Zionism, led by outgoing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. But he says their support for unity must be real.
A government that includes Netanyahu himself still looks unlikely. On Friday, Eisenkot called Netanyahu’s campaign against Arab parties “racist.”
Conditions For Cooperation
Eisenkot repeated on Saturday that any government under his leadership must move away from extremists. He specifically mentioned supporters of far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Another major issue is Tuesday’s election for Knesset speaker. The current speaker is Amir Ohana, a close ally of Netanyahu.
The opposition has chosen Matan Kahana, a former army officer who was fifth on Eisenkot’s list, to replace Ohana.
“If they (Likud and its allies) are truly seeking a sincere political partnership, as they claim, they must allow the democratic process to unfold normally… and instruct their members of parliament to support the appointment of Matan Kahana,” Eisenkot said.
