Israel Opposition Leader Eisenkot Dismisses Netanyahu Unity Government Offer as Political Trick
Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot dismissed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for an unconditional national unity government as a political trick on Saturday challenging him instead to back an opposition parliamentary candidate.
The rejection deepens a high-stakes deadlock as Eisenkot attempts to build a governing coalition following last month’s elections, where Netanyahu lost his parliamentary majority, as reported by Diari ARA.
Netanyahu made his appeal earlier on Saturday, urging Eisenkot to drop preconditions and form a broad administration to confront Iran’s nuclear program. RTVE.es noted that the prime minister’s proposal explicitly excluded Arab parties, which he accused of supporting terrorism, while incorporating the contentious issue of ultra-Orthodox Jewish military recruitment.
“Netanyahu calls to negotiate, says he wants unity, but despises an act of state in the Knesset and divides and incites as if there were no tomorrow. Good try, but these tricks don’t work with me. Nor with the citizens of Israel,” Eisenkot wrote in a statement reported by elDiario.es.
The challenge in the Knesset
Negotiating teams from Eisenkot’s Yashar! party and Netanyahu’s Likud were already scheduled to meet on Sunday, prompting the opposition leader to label the prime minister’s public overture as mere political theater.
To prove the offer’s sincerity, Eisenkot challenged Likud and Religious Zionism to support Matan Kahana, the opposition’s candidate to chair the Knesset, during the parliamentary vote on Tuesday. DW.com covered the exchange, noting that Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of waging a containment battle to obstruct a new executive and protect Likud’s Amir Ohana from losing the assembly presidency.
Eisenkot secures mandate to form a government
Eisenkot secured the backing of 67 lawmakers, including 19 from Arab political factions, and received the mandate to form a government from President Isaac Herzog.
Eisenkot has until December 6, 2026, to present his government, with the possibility of requesting an automatic 14-day extension before the mandate would shift to Netanyahu.